HOMESTEAD 
RANCH 


ELIZABETH  G.YOUNG 


HOMESTEAD  RANCH 


HOMESTEAD 

RANCH 

BY 

1             ELIZABETH  G. 

YOUNG 

' 

9 

) 

D.  APPLETON  AND  COMPANY 

NEW  YORK     :     :    LONDON 

:     :     MCMXXra 

COPrHIGHT,  19«,     BY 

D.  APPLETON  AND  COMPANY 


C<vyright,  1915,  1919,  by  Perry  Mason  Company 

PRINTED  IN  THE  UNITED  STATES  OF  AMEKICA 


J 


:>/ 


TO 

MARY  TRACY  HORNE 

KINDEST  OF  CRITICS 

AND 

WISEST  OF  FRIENDS 


IVI528457 


HOMESTEAD  RANCH 


CHAPTER  I 

ITow  that  the  train  had  crossed  the  Rocky  Mountains, 
most  of  the  passengers  in  the  tourist  car  were  becoming 
bored  and  restless.  The  scenery  was  less  absorbing; 
there  was  so  much  of  it  that  even  its  magnificence  had 
begun  to  pall!  Yet  Harriet  HoUiday  was  still  deeply 
interested  in  everything.  There  were  now  only  a  few 
hours  between  her  and  her  destination,  and  she  had 
begun  to  look  at  the  solitary  ranches,  wondering  whether 
her  brother's  would  look  like  them. 

The  train  was  passing  across  a  seemingly  endless 
desert,  through  ranges  of  hills  without  a  sign  of  life, 
without  water,  grass  or  trees  to  break  the  monotony  of 
sand  and  sagebrush.  Once  in  a  great  while  there  ap- 
peared a  row  of  buildings  that,  Harriet  decided,  must 
be  a  town — a  few  boxlike  stores,  a  hotel  with  an  impos- 
ing cement  block  front,  a  straggling  line  of  cabins, 
some  turf-roofed  huts,  some  tents — then  abruptly  the 
gray  solitude  of  the  desert  came  into  view  once  more. 

Harriet  thought  of  the  clustering  villages  along  the 
Connecticut  shore — ^the  white-and-green  houses  shel- 
tered by  elms,  the  church  spire  on  the  hill.  Home 
•eemed  suddenly  unutterably  far  away.     A  queer  ache 

1 


HOMESTEAD  KANCH 

surged  up  in  her  thrqat.  She  felt  not  only  endlessly 
far  in  miles  from  home,  but  in  time,  too — as  if  she  had 
left  the  year  1912  behind  her  and  come  somehow  into 
the  vanished  days  of  the  first  pioneers.  To  keep  back 
the  tears  she  glanced  hastily  up  and  down  the  car  at 
the  people  who  for  several  days  had  been  her  compan- 
ions and  nearly  all  of  whom  had  given  her  glowing 
accounts  of  "the  West." 

A  different  promise  had  lured  each,  and  each  promise 
seemed  golden.  One  family  had  sold  the  railroad 
shares  from  which  they  had  drawn  an  income  and  had 
bought  an  apple  orchard  in  Oregon.  An  old  couple 
were  on  their  way  to  California  to  invest  in  an  orange 
grove.  A  newly  married  pair  were  on  their  way  to  a 
timber  claim  in  Washington.  A  young  public  school 
teacher  had  given  up  a  good  position  in  Chicago  to 
take  a  district  school  in  Montana  where  she  could 
homestead.  Oddly  enough,  not  one  of  those  to  whom 
Harriet  had  spoken  so  far  was  expecting  to  settle  in 
Idaho. 

Her  roving  glance  came  back  along  the  seats.  Just 
in  front  of  her  sat  a  broad-shouldered  young  fellow, 
staring  out  of  the  window.  Harriet  could  see  the  boy- 
ish curve  of  his  tanned  cheek,  his  freckled  nose  and 
his  light  brown  hair.  Until  this  moment  she  had  not 
set  eyes  on  this  young  man.  He  must  have  got  on  at 
Ogden.  While  she  was  looking  at  him  he  turned  and 
met  her  inquiring  brown  eyes  with  a  pair  of  steady 
blue  ones. 


HOMESTEAD  RANCH 

"This  is  Idaho/'  he  said. 

Then  he  blushed  all  over  his  tanned  face.  He  had 
spoken  as  if  the  barren  ranges  had  been  mountains  of 
gold,  the  gray  sagebrush  desert  a  vista  of  lakes  and 
forests  and  gardens. 

Harriet  smiled.  "Thank  you,"  she  said.  "I'm 
glad  to  know."  She  was  silent  a  moment ;  then,  curios- 
ity overcoming  her  reserve,  she  asked,  "Have  you  any 
idea  how  much  farther  it  is  to  Shoshone  ?" 

"Say !  You  getting  off  there  ?  It's  the  next  stop." 
His  blue  eyes  flashed  when  Harriet  said  she  was,  and 
he  went  on :  "Homesteaders  are  coming  in  like  rabbit^ 
round  a  haystack.  If  you're  going  to  take  up  land 
you're  wise  to  come  now,  before  the  best  of  it  is  all 
filed  on." 

"Oh,  I'm  not  going  to  settle,"  Harriet  protested. 
"I've  been  teaching  but  I  have  to  rest  my  eyes  so  I've 
come  out  to  visit  my  brother.     He  has  a  ranch." 

"You'll  stay  though!  I'm  just  back  from  Chicago. 
Took  a  bunch  of  cattle.  I  stayed  East  two  months. 
Thought  I'd  like  it.  Not  much!  I'm  glad  I've  hit 
the  brush  once  more."  His  glance  went  to  the  window 
and  seemed  to  feast  hungrily  on  the  gray  plains. 

Harriet  looked  out  too,  trying  to  see  what  he  could 
find  that  lured  him. 

"You  don't  know  where  your  brother's  homestead 
is,  do  you?"  he  asked.  "There  are  two  districts  that 
fellows  are  coming  into;  one  south  of  those  foothills 
yonder,  the  other  on  Camas  Prairie." 

3 


HOMESTEAD  EANCH 

''Yes.  That's  it,  Camas  Prairie.  He  sent  me  pic- 
tures of  it.  Here's  one."  She  had  been  looking  at  the 
photographs  a  few  moments  before  and  drew  it  from 
her  handbag. 

"Well,  what  do  you-  know  about  that!"  the  young 
fellow  exclaimed  as  he  glanced  at  the  three  pictures. 
"That's  Sa^e  Hen  Springs,  all  right.  There's  the 
big  quakin'  asp  that  marks  the  section  line.  It's 
a  landmark  for  all  cattle  men  coming  across  the 
prairie." 

He  laughed  to  himself  as  he  handed  back  the  pictures. 
"I  was  just  wondering  what  Joyce'U  say  when  he  finds 
some  one  has  filed  there.  He's  a  sheepman  and  he's 
used  that  glen  there  for  a  lambing  place  for  years. 
He's  been  meaning  to  put  a  man  on  there  for  two  years 
anyhow.  Yes,  sir,  I'll  bet  he's  mad  when  he  finds  he's 
lost  it." 

"Isn't  there  some  other  place  near  by?" 

"^"0,  ma'am.  That's  just  it.  Water  is  mighty 
scarce  in  these  hills  anyhow,  and  Joyce  knows  the  sheep 
have  to  have  it." 

"It's  funny  that  he  never  took  a  homestead,  living 
out  here  so  long." 

"Oh  ..."  The  young  fellow  hesitated.  "He's 
got  one,"  he  said  slowly,  "but  he  needs  a  whole  lot 
more  than  that." 

"But  I  thought  a  man  could  only  homestead  once," 
Harriet  said  in  surprise. 

"That's  right.     But  there's  ways  of  crawling  through 

4 


HOMESTEAD  KAISTCH 

the  fence  when  the  gate's  shut.  I  shouldn't  wonder 
but  he'll  try  to  buy  your  brother  out." 

"Oh,  Bob  would  never  sell!  He's  going  to  raise 
cattle!" 

"That's  good  money,  all  right;  but  if  Joyce  wants 
that  water  hole  as  bad  as  I  reckon  he  does,  he'll  put 
up  a  bunch  of  money  for  it.  Well,"  he  added,  glancing 
out,  "we're  pretty  near  there." 

Harriet  began  to  collect  her  luggage  and  the  young 
man  rose.  "My  name's  Gamett,"  he  said  hesitatingly. 
"Maybe  we'll  meet  up  on  the  prairie." 

"Oh,  I  hope  so,"  Harriet  said  smiling,  and  held  out 
her  hand. 

As  the  train  pulled  into  the  station  she  looked  eagerly 
among  the  crowd  waiting  on  the  platform,  but  did  not 
see  her  brother.  She  had  stepped  down  upon  the 
cindery  track  and  was  wondering  what  she  had  better 
do  when  a  voice  exclaimed,  "Hello,  sis!  Got  here 
safely,  did  you  ?" 

"Bobs!"  Harriet  turned  quickly  and  then  faltered. 
She  had  expected  to  find  a  slim,  pale  boy,  wearing 
glasses  and  very  fastidious  about  his  collars  and  neck- 
ties. She  was  facing  a  big,  sunbrowned  man  without 
glasses,  who  wore  overalls,  a  gray  flannel  shirt,  a  sheep- 
skin vest  and  huge  laced  boots ;  but  he  was  smiling  and 
he  gripped  her  arm  and  kissed  her. 

"Bobs !"  she  cried.     "I  didn't  know  you." 

"Don't  worry,"  Bob  told  her.  "You  won't  know 
yourself  either  in  six  weeks.     Let's  see.     Got  your 

5 


HOMESTEAD  KANCH 

traps  ?  We'll  go  right  over  to  Kenny's.  Supperll  be 
ready  as  soon  as  you've  washed  the  cinders  out  of  your 
eyes.  I've  been  so  busy  loading  up  for  the  ranch  that 
I  almost  forgot  to  meet  the  train." 

"Kenny's,"  the  old  hotel  of  the  cattle  days  before 
there  had  been  a  town,  stood  just  across  the  street,  and 
every  one  who  had  left  the  train  appeared  to  be  going 
there  for  supper.  When  Harriet  and  Kob  went  in,  a 
circle  of  miners,  ranchers,  sheep  herders  and  cattle  men 
had  already  gathered  around  the  big  office  stove.  They 
were  gossiping  in  a  cloud  of  tobacco  smoke;  another 
group  hung  over  the  clerk's  desk. 

Among  them  moved  a  big,  red-cheeked  woman,  the 
hotel-keeper's  wife.  She  nodded  to  Bob.  "How  do, 
Mr.  HoUiday?     Your  sister's  come,  I  see." 

As  Eob  introduced  Harriet  to  Mrs.  Kenny,  the  good- 
hearted  Irishwoman  held  out  her  hand  with  words  of 
Welcome. 

The  big  dining  room  was  rigorously  clean;  the  oil- 
clothed  floor  almost  reflected  the  electric  lights;  plates 
and  glasses  shone;  two  trim  young  women  waited  on 
the  guests.  But  the  guests  themselves !  They  were  all 
men,  dressed  in  what  Harriet  mentally  called  "work- 
men's clothes" — overalls,  flannel  shirty,  corduroy  trou- 
sers, vests,  but  no  coats.  Unshaved,  weatherbeaten, 
scarred  and  lined  by  hard  experience,  these  men  seemed 
as  rough  and  repellent  to  the  dainty,  carefully  reared 
girl  as  the  mountains  of  this  stranger  land.     As  she 

6 


HOMESTEAD  EAJ^CH 

was  eating  her  supper,  taking  furtive  glances  down  the 
long  table,  she  heard  a  voice  at  her  shoulder  and  saw 
Rob  turn  to  speak  to  an  old  man. 

"Axcuse  me,  Holliday,  but  it's  just  a  worrud  I'm 
wantin'  wit'  yourself." 

Harriet  saw  beside  her  a  little,  bent  old  man;  his 
legs  were  bowed  from  a  life  in  the  saddle  and  his  neck 
was  tanned  and  wrinkled  from  years  of  weathering.  He 
wore  a  much  mended  flannel  shirt,  a  drooping  vest,  and 
short  overalls  that  revealed  gray  socks  and  congress 
gaiters  much  run  down  at  heel.  Harriet  thought  that, 
except  for  his  merry,  honest  face,  he  looked  very  much 
like  a  tramp. 

She  was  rather  surprised  when  her  brother  introduced 
the  old  man  to  her.  After  greeting  her  cordially  he 
went  on  to  explain  to  Rob  that  he  had  not,  after  all,  a 
fresh  cow  in  the  herd  good  enough  to  sell  for  a,  milk 
cow,  but  that  he  would  send  out  the  heifers  he  had 
promised  and  a  cow  that  would  be  fresh  in  the  fall. 
Then  he  turned  to  Harriet,  wished  her  "good  luck" 
and  moved  away. 

"Rob,  do  all  the  cowboys  dress  in  that — well,  shabby 
sort  of  way  ?"  Harriet  asked  as  she  and  her  brother  left 
the  dining  room  together. 

"So  that's  what  you  didn't  like!"  said  Rob.  "Dan 
Brannan  isn't  a  cowboy  though.  He's  one  of  the  rich- 
est cattle  men  around  here.  Worth  over  a  hundred 
thousand,  I've  heard.  That's  why  he  can  afford  to 
wear  old  clothes." 

"He  might  at  least  be  neat." 

7 


HOMESTEAD  EANCH 

Kob  laughed.  "I'll  remind  you  of  that  some  day 
about  two  months  from  now,  when  you've  quit  wearing 
starched  shirtwaists." 

As  they  were  to  start  for  the  ranch  early  in  the 
morning,  they  went  to  bed  soon  after  supper.  Harriet 
fell  asleep  at  once  and  did  not  wake  imtil  a  sharp  tattoo 
rattled  on  her  door. 

'^KoU  out,  sis,"  Rob  was  calling,  "nearly  six  and  we 
want  to  hit  the  trail  by  seven." 

When  Harriet  came  down  into  the  office,  she  found 
it  thronged,  and  humming  with  suppressed  excitement. 

"The  sheriff  has  just  come  into  town  with  two 
horse  thieves,"  Rob  explained.  "They  rounded  'em  up 
on  the  Malade  river,  just  above  here,  with  a  string  of 
ponies.  Another  of  the  fellows  got  away  after  wound- 
ing one  of  the  sheriff's  men.  It  must  be  cold  hiding 
out  in  the  foothills  this  time  of  year.  Well,  let's  eat 
and  move  on.  We  want  to  make  the  Hyslop  ranch 
before  dark." 

As  they  stepped  out  into  the  street  after  breakfast 
Harriet  shivered.  "It's  cold  at  night  in  the  mountains 
aU  right,"  Bob  admitted,  "but  it's  hot  enough  as  soon 
as  the  sun  gets  up.     You'll  see." 

Turning  the  corner  to  the  livery  stable  he  stopped 
and  pointed  to  a  new  farm  wagon,  ready  loaded. 
"That's  ours.  You  get  up  while  I  hitch  and  we'll  be 
off  in  a  jiffy." 

Harriet  stared  at  the  wagon  in  dismay.  The  sloping 
roof  of  canvas  that  was  roped  over  the  load  looked  to 
her  as  insurmountable  as  one  of  the  snow-covered  peaks 

8 


HOMESTEAD  RANCH 

the  train  had  passed.  The  wagon  seat  had  been  lifted 
from  the  sockets  and  was  balanced  an  top  of  a  bale  of 
hay.  Several  reels  of  barbed  wire,  a  plow  and  her 
trunk  gave  Harriet  a  hint  of  what  company  she  might 
find  herself  in  if  the  wagon  should  roll  into  the  ditch. 

She  managed,  however,  to  get  aboard.  While  she 
was  watching  her  brother  hitch  the  team,  a  clatter  of 
hoofs  made  them  both  look  up. 

^^Why,  hello,  Jones  !'*  Rob  exclaimed.  'When  did 
you  get  in  ?" 

"Oh,  a  day  or  two  ago." 

The  man  on  horseback  was  small,  slim  and  dark.  A 
felt  hat  shaded  his  eyes.  He  glanced  at  Harriet  and 
said  quick  and  low  to  Rob: 

"Can  I  speak  to  you?" 

Rob  went  across  the  road.  The  man  on  horseback 
leaned  forward  and  began  to  talk  rapidly. 

Harriet  turned  her  face  away,  but  now  and  then 
she  caught  a  word,  a  sentence:  "if  they  get  onto  me," 
"my  brand,"  "keep  it  quiet  as  you  can,"  "I  wouldn't 
say  anything  at  all."  And  then  in  a  natural  tone  the 
stranger  said  suddenly,  "Well,  see  you  later,"  and 
rode  off. 

Rob  came  back,  finished  hitching,  climbed  into  the 
wagon  and  they  started.  Harriet  expected  her  brother 
to  say  something  about  the  mysterious  young  man; 
but  although  Rob  began  almost  at  once  to  talk,  asking 
all  about  their  father  and  mother  and  the  life  at  home 
since  he  had  left  and  speaking  freely  about  his  own 
experiences  through  the  past  four  years,  he  said  nothing 

9 


HOMESTEAD  KAN^CH 

at  all  about  the  stranger.     Harriet  was  unable  to  re- 
strain her  curiosity. 

"Was  that  a  cowboy,  Eob  ?"  she  asked. 

'Who?" 

"I  mean  that  man  on  horseback  who  was  talking  to 
you." 

"Oh!  That?"  Eob  hesitated.  "Jones,  you  mean? 
He's  a  fellow  I've  met.  He  has  some  horses  he  wants 
me  to  take  care  of  for  a  while."  He  stopped,  then 
after  a  moment  added,  "If  any  one  asks  when  I'm  not 
home,  just  say  I'm  boarding  them  for  a  fellow."  He 
stopped  and  after  a  few  moment's  silence  began  talking 
of  other  things. 

There  was  so  much  to  see  and  so  many  questions  to 
ask  that  Harriet  soon  forgot  about  Jones.  They  were 
passing  through  one  of  the  irrigation  tracts  which 
marked  the  new  development  of  the  West.  Wherever 
the  sagebrush  had  been  cleared  from  a  new  piece  of  land, 
lay  the  smooth,  level  acres:  wheat,  pasture,  young  or- 
chard or  stubble.  The  fields  were  all  of  one  size  and 
were  intersected  squarely  by  the  irrigation  ditches. 
The  bams  and  dwellings  of  these  ranches  were  always 
near  the  road.  Built  of  new  unpainted  boards,  and 
unshielded  by  trees,  they  glared  crudely  in  the  blazing 
sunshine. 

"Pretty  good-looking  ranches  some  of  these  fellows 
have,"  observed  Rob,  nodding  toward  a  forty- 
acre  stretch  of  young  rye,  green  and  flat  as  a  billiard 
table. 

*'But  how  ugly  the  houses  are !     And  so  small !" 

10 


HOMESTEAD  RANCH 

"YouVe  got  your  ideas  cut  to  fit  the  regulation  "New 
England  colonial  mansion,  that's  all.  When  I  can 
afford  a  shack  like  that, — "  he  pointed  to  the  two-room 
cabin  they  were  passing,  "I'll  think  I'm  rich." 

"Bobby!  The  idea.  Why,  what  do  you  live  in 
now  ?" 

"A  tent.  I  only  filed  on  my  homestead  this  spring, 
you  know,  and  haven't  had  time  to  build.  All  last 
winter  I  was  working  for  wages,  feeding  cattle  for  Dan 
Brannan,  getting  a  line  on  feeding  my  own — and  ever 
since  I  came  in  on  to  my  land  this  spring  after  the 
break-up  I've  been  so  busy  getting  my  springs  fenced 
that  I  haven't  had  time  to  sleep  scarcely.  You  can  live 
in  a  tent  for  a  while,  can't  you  ?" 

"Why,  of  course!"  Harriet  hesitated,  not  want- 
ing to  hurt  her  brother's  feelings  by  being  too 
critical.  "But  where  do  you  keep  the  food  and  such 
things?  Is  it  safe  to  go  away  like  this  and  leave  it 
all  open?" 

"Sure.  Who'd  steal  a  few  blankets  and  grub  ?  My 
nearest  neighbor  is  eight  miles  away  and  nobody  much 
passes  except  cow  punchers  and  sheepmen  and  they're 
honest,  generally  speaking." 

Harriet  was  silent  a  moment,  slowly  putting  this 
picture  in  place  of  the  one  imagination  had  painted. 
*'But  won't  the  cows  and  sheep  get  into  the  garden, 
spoil  the  hay  or  something  ?" 

Over  Rob's  sunburned  face  came  an  embarrassed 
smile.     "Sorry  to  say  there  isn't  any  garden — ^yet." 

"Oh!  .  .  .  Then  you  haven't  a  real  farm?" 

11 


HOMESTEAD  EAJSTCH 

"Ko,  indeed.  !N'ot  wliat  Easterners  would  call  a 
farm,  but  it's  worth  a  lot.  It's  this  way.  You  see 
those  hills  we're  climbing  up  to?  Well,  mj  place  ia 
over  on  the  other  side  of  them,  a  quarter  section  of 
government  land  that  looks  about  like  this ;  covered  with 
sagebrush  and  bunch  grass,  but  I've  got  some  good 
springs.  That's  what  makes  my  land  worth  something. 
There  are  thousands  of  acres  of  government  land  like 
this  open  to  homesteaders,  but  worthless  because  there's 
no  water.  So  the  man  who  owns  water,  by  fencing  it, 
keeps  stock  away  and  controls  the  range  near  him.  All 
this  government  land  is  free  pasture;  but  it's  no  good 
without  water.  There  is  water — small  springs  and 
streams — scattered  through  the  hills,  enough  to  keep  a 
little  place,  forty  acres  or  so.  Those  are  what  people 
from  the  East  keep  coming  in  and  taking  up.  Men 
will  homestead  so  long  as  they  can  find  water,  for 
there's  plenty  of  good  land." 

"I  see,"  Harriet  said  slowly,  gazing  ahead  over  the 
interminable  miles  of  gray-green  brush  and  bright,  new, 
wild  grass  to  the  jagged,  black  lava  summit  of  the  foot- 
hills. "But  why  didn't  you  take  some  land  down 
here  ?"  she  asked,  with  a  gesture  toward  the  green-and- 
gold  oasis  made  by  the  irrigated  land  around  them. 

"Oh,  this  costs  more.  The  land  is  cheap  but  the 
irrigation  water  is  brought  in  and  you  have  to  pay  a 
lot  for  that.  Besides,  this  isn't  a  stock  country  and 
that's  what  I'm  after.  A  fellow  ought  to  make  good 
with  all  that  free  range." 

Harriet  made  no  answer  and  for  several  minutes 

12 


HOMESTEAD  RANCH 

they  rode  in  silence,  the  creak  of  the  wagon  suggesting 
many  things. 

"I  meant  to  tell  you  all  this  when  I  wrote  to  you," 
Eob  began  abruptly.  "But  honestly,  Harry,  there  was 
so  much  that  was  more  important  to  say  that  I  forgot 
about  the  tent  and  how  many  miles  to  the  next  ranch 
and  so  on.  I'm  so  used  to  living  that  way  that  I  didn't 
realize  how  you  might  take  it.  As  soon  as  mother 
wrote  about  your  eyes,  and  how  discouraged  you  were 
at  having  to  give  up  teaching,  I  sat  down  and  wrote 
right  off  the  bat  for  you  to  come.  It  seemed  as  if  it 
would  be  the  real  thing  to  have  you  out  here  this  first 
year  on  the  place.  It'll  be  more  like  camping  than 
farming.  I  can't  raise  a  crop  imtil  the  land's  cleared 
and  we  ought  to  get  time  for  lots  of  fishing  and  shooting 
trips  up  into  the  Sawtooth  forest.  The  climate  is  great 
— not  a  drop  of  rain  for  months  at  a  time.  You'll  like 
it,  I'm  sure.  Still,  if  you  don't  you  can  go  back  any 
time." 

"Of  course  I'll  like  it,"  Harriet,  or  '^arry,"  as  Rob 
had  always  called  her,  said  hurriedly,  for  she  had 
caught  the  note  of  disappointment  in  her  brother's 
voice  and  felt  a  prick  of  self-reproach  at  being  so  criti- 
cal when  Rob  had  thought  only  of  the  benefit  to  her  and 
the  happiness  it  would  be  for  both  of  them  at  being 
together  again. 

Although  Rob  was  five  years  older  than  his  sister 
they  had  always  been  chums  through  childhood,  had 
written  to  each  other  regularly  while  they  were  away 
at  separate  schools  and  had  never  lost  interest  in  each 

13 


HOMESTEAD  KANCH 

other's  work.  As  soon  as  Kob  had  decided  to  stay  in 
the  West  he  had  looked  forward  to  having  Harry  come 
out  to  live  with  him. 

As  the  morning  passed  the  sun  grew  hot  on  their 
backs.  Harry  took  off  her  coat  and  wished  for  a 
parasol.  Rob  with  his  hat  over  his  eyes  slouched  for- 
ward comfortably  and  gave  his  attention  to  the  team. 
"Rock!  Move  up  there,"  he  ordered.  "Get  out  of 
that,  you!  Hit  the  collar,  there,  Rye!  Keep  in  the 
road!" 

The  last  few  days  of  travel  had  tired  Harry  more 
than  she  realized  and  now  the  slow  motion  of  the 
wagon  and  the  unbroken  silence  of  the  desert  proved 
very  restful  to  her.  The  green  of  budding  sage,  of 
buck  brush  and  rabbit  brush  and  new  bunch  grass  melted 
into  a  soft  mantle  spreading  over  the  world  as  far  as 
she  could  see.  At  long  intervals  they  passed  immense 
flocks  of  sheep  scattered  through  the  brush  and  among 
the  rocky  buttes. 

"Who  takes  care  of  them  ?"  Harry  asked.  "I  should 
think  their  owners  would  be  afraid  to  leave  so  many 
alone." 

"They're  being  taken  care  of.  See  that  tent  up 
there  ?"  Rob  pointed  to  a  patch  of  white  canvas  a  mile 
away.  "The  Mex  brings  the  band  out  to  their  feed 
ground  early  in  the  morning,  leaves  the  dogs  on  guard 
and  then  goes  back  to  his  tent  and  sleeps  half  the  day. 
He  won't  have  to  bother  with  the  sheep  until  it's  time 
to  move  them  to  their  bedding  ground  for  the  night." 

*  What's  a  ^ex'  ?" 

14 


HOMESTEAD  RANCH 

"Oh,  short  for  Mexican.  So  many  of  the  sheep 
herders  are  Mexicans  and  Bascoes  nowadays  that  people 
call  them  all  'Mexes/  That  stick  up  there  with  the  rag 
on  it  marks  the  line  between  his  range  and  the  next 
herder's  and  neither  of  them  can  cross  it  to  feed.  The 
sheep  are  all  on  their  way  to  the  reserve  now,  in  the 
mountains  on  the  other  side  of  the  prairie.  They  stay 
here  in  the  foothills  as  long  as  the  grass  lasts,  then 
work  north.  That's  when  our  trouble  begins.  I  expect 
they'll  bother  us  a  lot,  since  I  haven't  finished  fencing." 

"Why,  I  thought  you  said  you  had  fenced,"  Harry 
exclaimed. 

"Just  the  main  springs.  Not  the  whole  hundred 
and  sixty  acres." 

"It  must  be  hard  to  tell  where  your  land  begins  and 
ends,"  Harry  laughed  thoughtlessly. 

"Oh,  I  guess  I  know  what's  mine,"  Rob  said  rather 
dryly.  "It  takes  considerable  wire  and  posts  to  get 
around  that  much  land  and  money  to  buy  'em.  I  had 
to  work  like  a  steer  this  winter  so  as  to  have  some 
cash  to  put  into  the  place.  To  comply  with  the  home- 
stead law  I've  got  to  have  a  house  built  before  next 
winter  and  clear  and  plow  just  so  much  land.  Besides 
the  glen  that's  fenced,  there's  two  miles  of  fencing  and 
cross  fencing  for  corral  and  garden.  I'll  have  to  work 
outside  for  wages  too,  to  get  my  feed  for  next  winter ; 
hay  and  grain  for  the  critters  and  groceries  for  you 
and  me." 

As  he  told  off  the  items  slowly  in  a  matter-of-course 
way,  Harry  realized  what  a  big  thing  it  was  he  had 

16 


HOMESTEAD  KANCH 

undertaken.  Although  he  had  joked  about  it,  she  knew 
he  did  not  consider  it  a  small  one  by  any  means, 
and  for  a  time  she  felt  not  only  disappointed  by  the 
contrast  to  what  she  had  expected,  but  vaguely  op- 
pressed. 

There  was  too  much  else  to  think  of,  however,  to 
brood  over  that.  As  the  day  waned  they  climbed 
steadily  higher.  The  road  became  rougher.  Often 
Harriet  held  her  breath  as  the  horses  scrambled  over  a 
lava  ridge,  lurched  down  into  a  wallow  of  mud  and 
struggled  out  only  to  strike  a  worse  spot  farther  on. 
At  tha  top  of  each  rise  Rob  paused  to  breathe  the 
team.  Several  times  he  and  Harriet  got  down  and 
walked  beside  the  wagon. 

"Tired?"  he  asked.  "It's  tough  the  first  time  you 
come  over  this  trail,  but  you'll  get  used  to  it." 

"I  don't  mean  to  travel  it  often  enough." 

"You  may  have  to;"  Rob  warned  her.  "When  I'm 
too  busy  to  go  to  town  I'll  send  you." 

Harry  looked  back  at  the  rough  trail  and  laughed. 
'^As  if  I'd  travel  this  rough  road  alone!" 

It  was  after  six  o'clock  when  they  topped  the  last 
rise  and,  saw  ahead  in  the  shadow  of  the  great  canon 
walls  the  string  of  buildings,  haystacks  and  corrals  of 
the  Hyslop  ranch. 

^We'U  camp  here,  outside  the  fence,"  Rob  said,  as 
he  turned  off  into  the  brush  and  pulled  up  beside  the 
stream  flowing  from  a  fissure  in  the  canon  wall. 

It  was  growing  colder  now,  a  dry,  clear  cold  that 
stirred  Harriet's  blood  and  made  her  realize  how  hungry 

16 


HOMESTEAD  EANCH 

she  was.     While  Eob  unhitched  and  fed  the  team  she 
gathered  dry  sticks  for  the  fire. 

Soon  coffee,  bacon,  and  canned  beans  were  on  the  fire, 
and,  with  tin  plates  in  their  hands,  the  two  hungry 
travelers  sat  down  with  sighs  of  anticipation.  Harry 
had  taken  a  first  mouthful,  when  suddenly  she  pointed. 
'Took!     What  is  it?" 

Eob  turned,  and  saw  in  the  darkness  the  gleam  of 
yellow  eyes.  "A  coyote!"  he  exclaimed,  overturning 
his  plate  as  he  scrambled  to  his  feet  "If  only  I  had 
my  rifle  with  me  now!" 

He  snatched  up  a  bit  of  blazing  sagebrush  to  fling 
at  the  animal,  which,  oddly  enough,  had  not  fled. 

''Why,  it's  a  dog !"  Harry  cried  suddenly. 

Trembling  with  fear,  yet  unable  to  resist  the  smell 
of  food,  the  little  animal  crawled  forward  until  he  was 
close  to  the  fire. 

"It's  starved,  that's  what's  the  matter,"  declared 
Harry,  who  had  put  down  her  plate  and  was  coaxing 
the  dog  close  enough  to  pat  it  "Just  feel  his  poor 
bones.  And  look  at  his  foot,  too.  He's  been  beaten 
nearly  to  death." 

"He's  hardly  more  than  a  puppy.  He  must  belong 
to  some  of  these  herders  round  here.  Brutes  some  of 
'em  are.  I've  heard  they'll  beat  a  dog  to  death  if  they 
get  mad  at  him.  And  they'd  even  tie  up  a  horse  with- 
out food  or  water  all  day  aud  night.  You'd  better 
turn  him  loose,  Harry.  If  he  should  belong  to  a  'Mex' 
the  fellow'll  be  around  after  him." 

"I'll  wait  till  he  comes." 

17 


HOMESTEAD  KANCH 

She  put  down  a  plate  of  food  for  the  dog  who  de- 
voured it  with  mad  hunger.  Then  he  crawled  into  the 
shelter  of  the  canvas  which  Roh  had  let  down  beside 
the  wagon  as  a  windbreak,  and  lay  there  until  supper 
was  finished  and  the  beds  unrolled.  When  Harry  lay 
down  in  her  roll  of  quilts,  the  little,  black,  sheep  dog 
crept  up  beside  her. 

"You  dear  thing,"  she  murmured.  "Whoever  owned 
you  didn't  deserve  to,  and  I'm  going  to  keep  you." 

For  a  few  moments  she  was  conscious  of  her  strange, 
new  surroundings:  the  canon  walls,  thousands  of  stars 
above  her,  the  monotone  of  the  stream.  The  next  she 
knew  daylight  was  pouring  into  the  canon,  Rob  was 
cutting  brush  for  the  fire  and  the  black  puppy,  shiver- 
ing silently,  was  watching  her  with  one  eye. 

Harry  reached  out  and  drew  him  up  beside  her. 
"I'm  certainly  going  to  keep  you,  you  little  black  rascal. 
You're  as  black  as  Othello.  There!  That's  your 
name." 

After  breakfast  when  they  were  ready  to  start  she 
lifted  the  dog  up  into  the  wagon.  "He  can  ride,  can't 
he,  Bobs?" 

Rob  smiled  but  answered  gravely:  "Honestly,  I'd 
turn  him  loose,  Harry.  If  you  want  a  dog  I'll  get  you 
one,  in  fact  we'll  have  to  have  one  to  work  for  us. 
But  it's  risky  picking  up  one  that  may  belong  to  some 
crazy  sheep  herder.  You  don't  realize  what  these 
fellows  are.  i^early  every  one  of  them  is  off  his  nut 
from  living  alone,  and  if  they  do  get  a  notion  you're 

1® 


HOMESTEAD  KA]tTCH 

trying  to  do  them  out  of  anything,  like  as  not  they  11 
have  it  in  for  you." 

"Oh,  Bobs!  Please  don't  make  me  leave  him," 
Harry  begged.     "See  him  look  at  me." 

"All  right.  But  don't  get  scared  when  some  'Mex' 
begins  to  look  at  him." 

"Scared !     Just  refer  any  one  that  wants  him  to  me." 


CHAPTER  II 

After  leaving  the  canon  where  they  had  camped, 
Eoh  and  Harriet  drove  through  a  region  of  utter  desola- 
tion. The  road  wound  about  among  crags  and  needles 
of  granite  that  rose  high  into  the  air.  Then  came  the 
flats — a  stretch  of  meadow  that  lay  sunken  between 
the  north  and  south  watersheds — and  after  that 
a  sharp  plunge  down  a  narrow  trail  cut  in  the 
face  of  the  mountain  to  the  bottom  of  Spring  Creek 
canon. 

The  snow-swollen  stream  filled  most  of  the  narrow 
floor  of  the  ca:aon;  the  road  was  a  succession  of  mud- 
holes  through  which  Rob  forced  the  struggling  horses. 
A  thick  wall  of  willows  along  the  stream  kept  the 
travelers  from  seeing  more  than  a  few  feet  ahead ;  the 
gray  walls  of  the  gorge  shut  off  the  sunlight  and  echoed 
noisily  to  the  shouting  creek.  To  Harry  that  ride  up 
the  canon  was  a  nightmare  of  terrifying  suspense. 
Then  abruptly  it  ended ;  they  were  out  on  level  ground, 
sunshine  streamed  along  the  valley  below  them,  and 
across  the  prairie  the  Sawtooth  Mountains  stood  shoul- 
der to  shoulder,  with  their  summits  radiant  in  the 
snowy  splendor. 

"At  last !''  sighed  Harry. 

"ITot  quite,"  Rob  answered.  "We  go  up  a  little  be- 
fore we  reach  the  ranch.     It's  on  the  bench,  close  to 

20 


HOMESTEAD  KANCH 

the  hills — ^not  on  the  prairie  down  there.  It's  only 
'Q.Ye  miles  more." 

Turning  eastward  presently,  the  road  wound  along 
the  base  of  the  hills,  which  were  very  low  here,  with 
only  an  occasional  steep  butte  jutting  out  from  the 
range.  On  the  other  side  the  ground  fell  away  gradu- 
ally to  the  prairie  floor,  which  was  brilliant  with  its 
hundreds  of  acres  of  young  grain,  plowed  land,  pasture, 
and  sagebrush.  Harriet  was  gazing  down  at  the  plains, 
when  Eob's  voice  made  her  look  around  sharply. 

"There !     Now  you  can  see  the  ranch." 

"Trees!"  she  exclaimed. 

'TTes,  the  only  big  grove  of  quaking  asp  left  on  this 
side  of  the  prairie.  Every  one  round  here  knows  that 
big  fellow  at  the  top.  There's  a  real  stream,  too.  With 
those  for  a  starter  it  won't  take  us  long  to  make  a 
home." 

There  was  a  new  note  in  Rob's  voice — something 
more  than  the  boyish  kindness  that  had  made  him  so 
lovable  a  chum.  For  a  moment  Harriet  felt  very  far 
from  him.  Then  a  wave  of  nobler  feeling  swept  over 
her.  Of  course  Rob  was  absorbed  in  his  homestead. 
Who  would  not  be — owner  of  160  acres,  and  master 
of  his  own  toil  ? 

Soon  Rob  left  the  road  and  drove  through  the  brush 
along  the  edge  of  a  wet,  green  meadow  toward  the  caiion 
that  opened  out  from  the  hills.  Along  the  steep  slopes 
of  the  hill,  trees  meandered,  and  down  the  canon  a 
mountain  stream  came  gushing.  At  the  upper  edge 
of  the  meadow  Rob  drew  up,  unhitched  the  horses,  and 

21 


HOMESTEAD  KANCH 

pitched  the  tent  in  the  shelter  of  a  spreading  clump 
of  willows. 

Two  weeks  later,  Harry  was  standing  in  the  tent, 
deep  in  a  struggle  with  her  first  pie.  The  cookbook 
was  propped  open  before  her  on  the  plank  table,  on 
which  cups,  spoons,  and  plates  were  scattered  in  pro- 
fusion. 

"Bobs,  is  that  you?"  she  called,  as  she  heard  fooir 
steps  outside.  "Do*  look  here !  This  pie  crust  is  such 
a  mess !" 

She  had  arrived  at  a  point  where  she  needed  encour- 
agement. The  morning  was  passing ;  the  tent  was  very 
hot;  flies  swarmed  everywhere,  and  her  dough-covered 
hands  could  not  grasp  and  tuck  away  the  refractory 
curl  that  wa^  tickling  the  end  of  her  nose. 

"If  you  want  pies,"  she  went  on,  "you'd  better  send 
for  one  of  your  cowboy  cooks  to  come  and  make  them, 
I  can't." 

"Excuse  me,  ma'am.     Can  I  help?" 

At  the  sound  of  the  strange  voice  Harriet  turned, 
dismayed.  In  the  doorway  of  the  tent  stood  a  dark, 
.slender  man  eying  her  questioningly.  In  his  khaki 
shirt,  scarlet  neckerchief,  silver-trimmed  leather 
"chaps"  and  broad-brimmed  hat  he  was  all  that  Harry 
had  imagined  a, cowboy  should  be.  There  was  some- 
thing familiar  to  her  in  his  dark-eyed  face;  and  when 
he  said,  "Is  Mr.  HoUiday  here?  I'm  fetching  in  a 
bunch  of  colts — Jones  is  my  name,"  she  remembered 
at  once. 

2S 


HOMESTEAD  RANCH 

'^r.  HoUiday  is  not  here,  but  please  come  in,  Mr. 
Jones,"  she  said.     "I  am  his  sister." 

Jones  came  into  the  tent  and  sat  down  on  a  cracker 
box  near  the  door. 

*^ow  do  you  like  Idaho  ?"  he  asked. 

"I'd  like  it  better  if  I'd  learned  to  make  pies  before' 
I  came,"  Harry  replied,  with  a  rueful  glance  at  her 
sticky  hands.  "Rob  has  told  me  how  well  all  the  men 
out  in  this  country  can  cook.  It  makes  me  feel  so 
stupid  not  to  be  able  to.  Rob  has  tried  to  show  me 
how  to  make  sour-dough  bread  and  stew  frijole  beans 
■ — ^with  red  peppers  and  garlic,  you  know.  Aren't  they 
awful  ?     Rob  likes  them,  though." 

"They  ain't  so  bad,"  said  Jones  gravely,  turning  his 
hat  in  his  hands  and  glancing  oddly  at  the  girl  from 
under  his  eyebrows. 

'Well,  maybe  not,  when  you're  very,  very  hungry. 
I  can  manage  to  cook  them,  but  pie — look  at  it !"  She 
viciously  prodded  the  glistening,  sticky  paste.  "I  guess 
I'll  just  throw  it  away  and  start  fresh." 

"Oh,  I  wouldn't  waste  it !  Ain't  you  got  it  a  little 
wet,  mebbe?" 

"Is  that  it?  What  must  I  do?  I'm  sure  you  are 
laughing  in  your  sleeve  at  me." 

"Not  much.  I  remember  what  an  all-fired  mess  I 
had  layin'  round  when  I  first  waded  into  pie  makin'. 
But  now  if  I  was  you  and  you  told  me  to  turn  that 
therer  into  hot  bread  and  take  a  new  layout  for  the  pie, 
I  reckon  I'd  try  it." 

"Thank  you!"     Harry  laughed.     "If  I  were  you, 

23 


HOMESTEAD  EAKCH 

Mr.  Jones,  and  you  were  I,  and  I  saw  you  in  this  £xy 
do  you  know  what  I'd  do  ?  Offer  to  show  me — ^you — 
how  to  do  it." 

With  a  smile,  Jones  laid  his  hat  under  the  tahle, 
dipped  some  water  into  the  hand  basin,  washed  his 
hands,  and  came  over  to  the  table. 

"I'll  grease  the  pans,"  Harry  said.  "The  apples 
are  ready.  And  there!  I  forgot  all  about  the  fire. 
Thia  business  of  putting  in  wood  every  five 
minutes " 

She  put  wood  into  the  stove,  filled  the  kettle,  stirred 
the  beans,  and  greased  the  pans;  all  the  while  she 
watched  the  new  cook  as  he  worked. 

"I'd  rather  organize  a  fresh  batch*  of  dough,"  he  said 
apologetically.  "Makin'  it  over  would  be  like  tryin'  to 
make  a  cow  pony  out  of  a  cayuse  that's  been  half  broke 
to  a  buggy." 

In  a  few  minutes  he  had  the  pie  pan&  lined,  and 
looked  about  him  for  the  filling.  "Apples,  you  said, 
didn't  you?" 

Harry  pointed  to  a  basin  overflowing  with  dried 
fruit  that  she  had  soaked  but  had  not  cooked.  "Those 
are  the  apples  I  meant  to  use." 

Jones  hesitated  and  grinned.  "You  wasn't  cal'latin' 
to  make  them  into  a  pie  without  bilin'  'em  first  ?  It'd 
be  like  chewin'  on  gun  waddin!  Ain't  you  got  no 
canned  goods?" 

Erom  the  pile  of  groceries,  dishes,  chicken  feed,  and 
bedding  that  Eob  had  dumped  into  a  corner  until  he 
could  find  time  to  put  up  shelves,  Harry  produced  a 

24 


HOMESTEAD  EAISTCH 

can  of  peaches.  "This  place  is  in  the  worst  mess,"  she 
declared.  "We've  been  here  just  about  two  weeks,  and 
Kob  is  so  busy  getting  post  holes  dug  while  the  ground 
is  soft  that  he  hasn't  time  even  to  think  how  we  live." 

"A  homesteader  has  to  think  of  his  critters  first.  Did 
you  say  you  had  the  garlic  in  those  beans?  They'd 
ought  to  bile  some  smarter  if  they're  for  dinner." 

When  Rob  came  home  at  noon,  tired,  hungry,  and 
expecting  a  meal  of  soggy  bread  and  experimental  beans, 
he  found  dinner  waiting  for  him;  the  open  oven  door 
revealed  delicious  brown  biscuits  and  an  odorous  pie. 
Harry,  cool  and  calm,  was  setting  the  table. 

"So  you  got  here  at  last,  did  you?"  Rob  said  in 
greeting  to  Jones. 

"Yes,  but  it's  a  wonder,"  Jones  replied.  "The  road's 
so  crooked  comin'  through  the  hills  that  a  fellow  meets 
hisself  comin'  back  three  times  on  the  way  over." 

"Did  you  bring  in  the  horses  ?" 

"Sure.  I've  got  'em  in  those  trees  up  yonder. 
Thought  I'd  better  see  you  before  I  put  'em  in  the 
corral."    He  shot  a  quick  glance  at  Rob. 

"No,  you  don't  want  'em  there.  I've  got  the  glen 
fenced.  There  are  so  many  trees  in  there  that  it  will 
be  cool  and  protected  for  the  colts,  too.  Well, 
let's  have  dinner,  sis;  I'm  hungry  enough  to  chew 
nails." 

"You'll  have  just  time  to  wash  while  I'm  dishing 
up,"  Harry  reminded  him. 

She  had  taken  pains  to  set  the  table  attractively — 
with  clean  napkins  from  her  little  store  of  linen,  with 

26 


HOMESTEAD  RAl^CH 

the  butter  on  butter  plates,  and  witb  a  glass  of  water 
at  each  place. 

After  much  splashing  outside,  Eob  reappeared. 
"ISTow  for  grub !''  he  exclaimed,  slumping  down  on  the 
cracker  box.  "Come  along  T'  he  cried  to  Jones,  who, 
standing  before  the  looking-glass,  was  carefully  parting 
his  glossy  black  hair.     "Your  top's  all  right." 

"You  certainly  didn't  bother  to  brush  yours/'  Harry 
said,  with  a  glance  at  Eob's  wet  and  rumpled  hair. 

"Oh,  it'll  do!"  Eob  hastily  smacked  his  hair  flat. 
"Come  along,  Jones.  That's  the  trouble  with  these 
Western  financiers,"  he  added  in  a  loud  aside  to  Harry. 
"They  think  too  much  of  their  looks."  He  glanced 
round  the  table.  "This  all  the  beans  you've  got,  sis  ?" 
he  asked,  eying  apprehensively  the  small  dish  in  which 
Harry  had  served  the  beans. 

"i^o."     Harry  pointed  to  the  saucepan  on  the  stove. 

"Ah!  Good  work.  Beans,  Jones?  Sure."  Eob 
ladled  out  huge  platefuls  for  Harry  and  Jones,  swung 
the  saucepan  from  the  stove  to  the  table,  helped  himself 
generously,  and  then  calmly  set  the  saucepan  down  on 
his  clean  napkin.  "^Now,  a  little  condensed  milk  for 
the  coffee,"  he  said,  "then  hoist  anchor  and  away." 

"I'll  have  to  open  a  fresh  can,"  Harry  said,  jumping 
up.     "I  threw  out  the  other." 

As  she  went  to  get  it,  she  failed  to  see  her  brother's 
eyebrows  lift  in  surprise.  He  said  nothing,  however, 
and  devoured  his  dinner  hungrily. 

"Sis  couldn't  even  turn  a  flapjack  when  she  first 
came  out,"  he  said  to  Jones  as  between  them  they  demol- 

2e 


HOMESTEAD  EANCH 

ished  beans  and  biscuits.  "Never  mind,  sis,  yonVe 
earned  your  salt  teaching,  and  if  you  keep  on  like  this 
you'll  soon  bo  worth  your  salt  to  me," 

He  winked  teasingly,  cheerfully  unconscious  of  the 
fact  that  Harry's  cheeks  were  flaming  with  annoyance. 
Just  when  Kob  should  have  been  nicest,  before  a 
stranger,  he  was  particularly  horrid! 

In  a  very  cold  and  dignified  manner  she  disclaimed 
credit  for  the  pie  and  biscuits,  but  Rob  was  so  busy 
eating  that  he  did  not  notice  the  reproof  in  her  voice. 
As  soon  as  dinner  was  over  he  got  up,  reached  for  his 
hat,  and  said,  "Come  on,  Jones,  let's  go  up  to  the  glen." 

They  stepped  outside  the  tent.  Harry  heard  Rob 
say  in  a  low  voice,  "I've  been  looking  for  you  this 
long  while.     Have  any  trouble  getting  through?" 

"Not  much.  I  didn't  give  any  one  a  chance  to  ask 
questions." 

She  heard  no  more  and  was  soon  thinking  about 
other  things — chiefly  about  how  Rob  had  changed  since 
coming  West.  She  washed  the  dishes,  straightened 
up  the  tent,  and  was  just  hanging  up  her  apron,  when 
she  heard  the  men  coming  back,  still  talking  earnestly. 

"It's  the  only  way,"  Rob  was  saying.  "You  can't 
be  sure  that  these  fellows  will  not  find  out;  and  if 
you  can  say  that — see  ?" 

The  next  moment  they  entered  the  tent.  "Where's 
the  ink,  Harry  ?"  he  asked.  As  she  went  to  her  trunk, 
he  added,  "Give  us  a  sheet  of  paper,  too.  That's  it. 
Let's  go  outside,  Jones;  it's  cooler  there." 

They  sat  down  on  the  shady  side  of  the  tent.     Harry 


HOMESTEAD  RANCH 

heard  them  talking  long  and  low.  After  a  while  Rob 
came  inside,  put  down  the  pen  and  ink,  and  went  out 
again.     Shortly  afterward,  Jones  rode  away. 

Harry  waited,  hoping  that  Rob  would  come  in  and 
tell  her  what  they  had  been  talking  about ;  but  he  did 
not.  Going  to  the  door,  she  saw  him  driving  along  the 
fence  line,  unloading  the  posts  that  he  had  cut  that 
morning  in  Spring  Creek  canon. 

Harry  felt  hurt  and  irritated.  Slowly  something 
hardened  in  her  throat,  and  setting  her  lips,  she  sat 
down  with  her  mending.  When,  after  a  while,  Rob 
came  up  to  get  a  fresh  bag  of  water,  she  did  not  look 
up  or  speak. 

But  Rob  was  too  full  of  his  own  thoughts  to  notice 
Harry's  mood.  He  drew  a  cracker  box  to  the  table, 
reached  for  a  scrap  of  wrapping  paper,  and  was  soon 
deep  in  figuring.  "Twenty-four,  six,  thirty.  Six  tons 
of  alfalfa.  How  many  hundred  of  barley  and  wheat 
and  oats  will  it  take  to  winter  the  stock  on,  I  wonder  ?" 
He  thrust  his  legs  out  under  the  table,  ran  his  hands 
through  his  hair,  and  stared  at  the  figuring  before  him. 

"Yes,  I  ought  to  have  three  hundred  dollars  at  least, 
before  snow  flies,"  he  said.  "I  will,  too,  if  I  stick  on 
the  job  and  nothing  happens." 

"If  nothing  happens,"  Harry  repeated,  with  a  short 
laugh.  "Does  anything  ever  happen  out  here,  pleasant 
or  otherwise  ?" 

"Eh  ?  What's  started  you  off  ?  I  mean,  if  the  work 
goes  well  and  we  don't  get  a  setback  of  some  kind. 

28 


HOMESTEAD  EANCH 

Three  hundred  dollars  will  see  us  through  the  winter, 
all  right." 

"  'Us  P    Don't  count  me  in,  pleasa" 

'Well,  you  have  got  a  grouch,  sis,"  said  Eob,  in 
some  surprise.  "What's  the  matter  now?  I  thought 
you  were  here  for  a  year.  In  fact,  I  was  just  going 
to  ask  you  if  you  don't  want  to  homestead  here." 

"Me?     Homestead?    Never!" 

"Why  not?  I  didn't  say  anything  about  it  before, 
because  I  wanted  first  to  see  whether  you  liked  it  and 
whether  it  agreed  with  you.  You're  taking  hold  fine, 
and  I  believe  we'd  make  a  big  thing  of  it  together. 
There's  a  hundred  and  sixty  on  the  coulee  just  east 
of  the  next  butte.     You've  been  over  it  ?" 

"Yes,"  Harry  admitted.  She  remembered  the  swale, 
the  strip  of  green  meadow,  the  springs  breaking  from 
the  hillside;  it  did  not  compare  in  value  with  Rob'a 
land,  but  it  was  a  good  "hundred  and  sixty." 

Por  a  moment  Harry  had  a  vision  of  herseK  as  a 
ranch  ovmer:  riding  a  cow  pony,  planting  and  selling 
crops,  building  up  a  herd  of  her  own,  perhaps.  Then 
came  swiftly  a  picture  of  herself  standing  alone  in  the 
doorway  of  the  cabin,  as  she  had  seen  the  women  stand- 
ing in  their  doorways  watching  the  train  pass  their 
lonely  prairie  homes.  Yes,  it  would  be  that  way  with 
her,  while  Rob  was  off  with  Jones  or  some  other  man. 
She  shook  her  head. 

"I  couldn't !  I've  no  money.  I  can't  make  any  out 
here.     What  should  I  do  for  clothes  and  things?    It 

29 


HOMESTEAD  RANCH 

took  all  I  made  at  home,  teaching,  to  keep  me  properly 
dressed." 

"You  wouldn't  need  such  things  here;  you'd  be  a 
lot  better  off  without  them,  if  you're  going  to  wear 
yourself  out  getting  them.  In  a  few  years  you'd  have 
a  farm  worth  something — you  and  I  together  could  do 
a  lot.  As  it  is,  some  old  cow-puncher'll  settle  it  up, 
or  a  sheepman'll  grubstake  a  Mex  to  prove  up  on  it 
for  him,  and  the  sheep'U  eat  out  the  whole  range.  It 
wouldn't  take  you  long  to  commute,  only  fourteen 
months,  and  then,  if  you  didn't  like  it,  you  could  hike 
back  East.  Of  course  it  would  cost  you  two  hundred 
dollars  to  prove  up,  but  you  could  make  that  easily 
by  teaching  a  district  school." 

Again  Harry  hesitated.  She  remembered  suddenly 
the  young  school-teacher  whom  she  had  met  on  the 
train,  and  who  was  giving  up  a  good  salary  to  come 
out  and  homestead. 

"If  I  have  to  spend  all  I'd  make  teaching  merely  to 
prove  up,  I  don't  see  that  I'd  be  any  better  off  than  if 
I  went  back  home.  If  I  could  do  something  to  earn 
money  to  put  into  the  ranch  it  might  be  worth  while." 

"Quit  throwing  things  out  before  they're  half  used; 
that  would  save  some  money,  anyway." 

Eob  spoke  brusquely.  He  hated  to  find  fault  with 
Harry,  but  he  had  wanted  to  speak  before  this  about 
her  wastefulness,  and  now  she  was  giving  him  an 
excuse. 

"Really,  Rob,  I  don't  know  what  you  mean."    Her 

30 


HOMESTEAD  EANCH: 

tone  showed  that  her  pride  was  hurt.  "I  thought  J 
was  very  economicaL" 

"It's  not  very  economical  to  throw  out  a  tin  of  milk 
that's  only  been  used  twice — and  to  cut  fresh  bacon  for 
fry  fat,  when  there's  an  old  rind  hanging  on  the  waU. 
It's  those  little  things  that  count  up  in  the  long  run. 
I'm  not  kicking,  but  since  you  said  you'd  like  to  help, 
that's  as  good  a  way  as  any." 

"And  yet  you  suggest  my  staying  out  here.  Really, 
if  I'm  such  a  poor  manager  as  you  say,  I  think  I'd 
better  go  back  at  once." 

"What's  the  use  of  talking  like  that?  I  guess  it's 
lonesomeness  that  makes  you  grouchy.  You  ought  to 
get  out  and  see  some  of  the  other  ranchwomen.  Why 
don't  you  go  over  to  Robinson's.  It's  only  three  miles 
from  here,  and  she'd  be  tickled  to  death  to  have  you 
go  to  see  her." 

^ Why  doesn't  she  come  first  ?  She's  been  here  longer 
than  I  have." 

"They  don't  pay  much  attention  to  that  formal  sort  of 
nonsense  out  here,"  said  Rob.  "If  you  were  sick  they'd 
come  and  nurse  you  for  a  week ;  but  most  of  them  have 
a  raft  of  children,  and  chores  to  do  besides." 

Whistling  cheerfully,  he  went  out  to  his  work. 
Harriet  flushed  with  anger.  How  rude  Rob  was! 
But  what  could  be  expected  when  he  had  lived  so  long 
among  these  rough  Westerners  ? 

Yet  under  her  mortification  she  felt  that  he  was  right 
and  that  she  was  wrong.     She  had  not  realized  it  before. 

31 


HOMESTEAD  KAISTCH 

At  home  her  mother  and  elder  sister  had  provided  for 
the  household;  and  what  Harry  earned  she  had,  quite 
as  a  matter  of  course,  spent  upon  herself;  of  course 
she  had  had  to  go  without  many  things  that  other  girls 
had,  and  so  had  thought  herself  very  economical.  Rob's 
economy  was  not  like  that.  She  saw  now  how  often  he 
saved  money  by  fashioning  something  that  she  would 
have  thought  it  necessary  to  buy — or  by  getting  further 
use  out  of  something  that  she  would  have  thrown  away. 
She  knew  that  his  was  the  real  spirit  of  economy. 

Nevertheless,  she  was  angry  with  him,  and  began  to 
write  a  homesick  letter  to  her  mother.  She  was  deep 
in  a  recital  of  her  woes,  when  a  voice  interrupted  her. 

"This  HoUiday^s  ranch  f'  it  inquired. 


CHAPTEK  III 

A  stranger  stood  in  the  doorway  of  the  tent.  He  was 
short  and  heavily  built,  with  a  big,  close-shaven  head 
and  small,  bright  eyes.  As  Harriet  rose  and  came  for- 
ward, he  smiled  reassuringly. 

"My  brother  is  not  here  just  now,"  the  girl  said. 
"He  has  gone  after  a  load  of  fence  posts.  Won't  you 
come  in?" 

"Thanks.  I'll  sit  down  out  here.  It's  cooler,  I 
reckon.  So  you're  homesteadin',  are  you?  How  do 
you  like  it?" 

He  spoke  in  such  a  cheery  voice  and  smiled  so  pleas- 
antly that  Harriet's  fears  vanished.  "To  tell  the  truth, 
I  don't  care  much  for  it,"  she  admitted.  "It's  so  very 
lonely." 

"You're  right.  Homestea din's  hard  for  a  young 
lady,  'specially  one  that  ain't  used  to  this  country.  You 
wa'n't  raised  out  here,  I  judge,  ma'am  ?" 

"Oh,  no!     We  come  from  Connecticut." 

"Say !  Connecticut !  I'll  bet  you  didn't  cal'late  to 
hit  the  hard  pan  when  you  come,  neither  ?"  He  cocked 
his  head,  smiled,  and  then  burst  into  a  ringing  laugh. 

Harry  laughed,  toa  "If  this  is  *hard  pan,'  I  cer- 
tainly didn't  expect  to  hit  it." 

"Yes,  sir,  and  it'll  be  a  heap  harder  before  you've 
finished  provin'  up,  too.     Summer's  fine  here  in  the 

83 


HOMESTEAD  KANCH 

hills,  but  when  the  winter  sets  in !  You  goin'  to  stick 
it  out  the  three  years  ?" 

"Oh,  no !  I'm  going  back.  I  haven't  taken  a  home- 
stead myself;  this  is  my  brother's.  I'm  only  visiting 
him." 

"What's  he  goin'  to  do  here,  anyhow  ?" 

'^ake  a  ranch,  I  guess." 

"A  ranch  ?  Why,  it'll  take  twenty  years  for  him  to 
get  the  brush  off  this  and  get  it  all  into  crops.  'Tain't 
fit  for  nothin'  but  grazing.  You  know  what  he'd  ought 
to  have  done?  Took  forty  acres  down  in  the  Twin 
Falls  district.  There's  where  they're  makin'  money. 
That's  the  place  for  you  young  folks  from  back  East 
to  get  in  and  make  a  strike,  You'd  have  easy  sleddin' 
all  the  way,  and  make  money,  too.     But  this  here — " 

He  stopped  as  if  he  did  not  care  to  say  too  much, 
and  looked  off  across  the  sagebrush. 

Harry  had  listened,  interested  at  first,  and  then  sur- 
prised and  disturbed.  Poor  Rob!  He  did  not  know 
what  he  had  got  into.  And  oh,  how  thankful  she  was 
that  she,  too,  had  not  filed  a  claim ! 

At  that  moment  Rob  came  around  the  corner  of  the 
tent 

"How  do !"  he  said,  and  stopped. 

"This  Mr.  HoUiday?"  asked  the  stranger.  "My 
name's  Joyce." 

"Glad  to  meet  you,  Mr.  Joyce."  Rob  sat  down  on 
the  grass  and  took  off  his  hat.  "Got  any  fresh  water 
there,  Harry  ?"  he  asked. 

"Fencing's  a  big  job,"  he  said,  as  he  drained  the 

34 


HOMESTEAD  RANCH 

dipper.  "The  ground^s  getting  dry  now,  too,  so  I 
have  to  work  fast." 

"Yes.  It's  a  hard  proposition  all  through,"  answered 
Joyce.  He  was  silent  a  moment,  and  then  began  ab- 
ruptly, "IVe  been  telling  your  sister  here  what  you 
could  do  over  on  the  south  side;  how  much  better  off 
you  would  be  with  forty  acres  there  than  with  a  hun- 
dred and  sixty  here." 

"You  an  agent  for  the  Twin  Falls'  tract  ?"  asked 
Kob,  with  a  smile. 

"No,  sir.  I'm  a  sheepman ;  but  I've  got  eighty  acres 
down  there,  and  I  know  what  it's  going  to  be.  A  young 
fellow  like  you  with  brains  and  spunk  could  make  a 
fortune  there  in  a  few  years.  Here  you'll  spend  a  life- 
time gettin'  a  living." 

He  went  on  to  give  a  glowing  account  of  the  farming 
on  the  south  side  of  the  Snake  Eiver — a  tract  that  an 
irrigation  company  had  lately  opened. 

"See  here,"  he  said  suddenly,  "I'll  tell  you  what  I'll 
do.  I'll  exchange  forty  acres  there,  all  proved  up  on, 
only  a  few  payments  left,  for  your  homestead,  if  you'll 
commute  on  it.  And  I'm  offering  you  ^the  biggest 
price  you'll  ever  get  for  it." 

'Why  do  you  offer  it  if  it's  so  big  ?  Why  don't  you 
keep  your  forty  ?" 

'Well,  it's  just  this  way:  I've  got  to  have  a  water 
hole  here  for  lambing.  I've  been  coming  here  on  my 
way  to  the  reserve  for  twenty  years.  Never  thought 
of  filing  on  this  land  it's  so  poor,  nothing  but  the  water 
here  but  that's  what  makes  it  valuable  to  us  stockmen." 

35 


HOMESTEAD  KANCH 

''That's  what  makes  it  valuable  to  me.  I'm  going 
to  run  cattle." 

Joyce  laughed  loudly.  "My  boy,  cattle  would  starve 
where  sheep  grow  fat.  You'll  be  flat  broke  in  ^yo 
years." 

'Why  haven't  you  taken  it  up  before?"  asked  Eob. 
"It's  been  here  a  good  while." 

"Well,  us  stockmen  have  got  so  used  to  having  all  the 
wild  land  we  wanted  that  we  haven't  realized  until  too 
late  that  you  fellows  are  coming  in  here  and  taking 
it  all  up." 

"Then  I'm  not  the  only  greenhorn  from  back  East 
who  thinks  it's  good  for  something." 

"If  you'll  sell  out  to  me,  you'll  never  regret  it." 

"If  I  ever  decide  to  sell  out,  I'll  give  you  first  chance 
to  bid  on  it,"  Eob  promised ;  and  that  was  as  mudi  as 
Joyce  could  get  out  of  him. 

When  Joyce  was  leaving,  he  turned  in  his  saddle 
and  called : 

"Well,  so  long,  HoUiday!  Mebbe  you'll  be  sorry 
you  didn't  close  with  me  when  the  sheep  begin  coming 
in." 

A  day  or  two  after  Joyce's  visit,  Harry  called  the 
dog— she  had  shortened  Othello  to  'Thello  by  this  time 
— and  went  down  to  the  side  of  the  hundred  and  sixty 
where  Rob  was  fencing.  Having  so  little  to  occupy 
her  time,  she  frequently  went  out  to  walk  in  the  after- 
noon, and  joined  her  brother  on  her  way  home;  but 
this  was  the  first  time  she  had  gone  down  so  early,  and 

36 


HOMESTEAD  EANCH 

she  found  the  brush,  under  the  afternoon  sun,  a  very 
different  place  from  what  it  had  looked  from  the  shade 
of  the  quaking  aspens. 

Out  in  the  brush  there  was  no  shade;  even  the  largest 
clumps  of  sage,  some  as  high  as  her  head,  gave  little 
refuge  from  the  glare  of  the  sun.  The  desert,  lying 
silent  in  the  sunshine  and  heat,  seemed  to  fill  the  visible 
universe,  and  to  absorb  all  significance  from  the  tiny 
human  motes  that  inhabited  it.  What,  Harry  asked 
herseK,  could  Rob  do  singlehanded  against  that  inert 
opponent  ? 

As  she  watched  him  bore  one  hole  after  another, 
driving  the  post-hole  digger  down  through  the  gravel 
and  earth,  repeating  monotonously  the  same  motions, 
never  resting,  seldom  speaking,  pausing  only  to  pour 
a  drink  of  water  down  his  throat  or  to  wipe  the  sweat 
from  his  face  with  his  torn  sleeve,  he  seemed  to  her  to 
have  become  a  helpless  automaton  that  had  been  wound 
up  and  set  going  for  the  amusement  of  some  invisible 
spectator. 

Harry  was  discovering  that  the  West  was  very  differ- 
ent from  the  picturesque  idea  she  had  had  of  it.  Her 
part  in  it,  too,  was  not  the  picturesque  part  she  had 
thought  to  play.  Harry  saw  the  West  only  from  its 
unromantic  exterior;  not — as  Eob  was  seeing  it — as  the 
foundation  for  as  great  a  romance*  as  the  world  has  ever 
Been :  the  transforming  of  the  waste  places  of  the  earth 
into  a  garden  of  plenty. 

If  Rob  had  only  told  her  of  the  dreams  and  plans 

37 


HOMESTEAD  RANCH 

that  inspired  him — ^but  Rob  was  no  talker.  [JTow,  as 
Harry  watched  him,  she  felt  only  the  vague  discomfort 
of  pity  for  his  overwhelming  task. 

The  heat  made  her  sick,  the  glare  tortured  her  eyes ; 
she  was  afraid  of  the  lizards  and  horned  toads  that 
darted  across  the  sand  about  her;  but  if  she  went  back 
to  the  tent  she  knew  that  she  would  soon  become  lonely 
and  homesick.  She  decided  to  take  a  short  walk. 
Looking  over  her  shoulder  toward  the  foothills,  she 
frowned  questioningly. 

*'Rob,  who  is  that  up  there?" 

"Hey?"  Rob  straightened  himself  laboriously  and 
glanced  in  the  direction  in  which  she  pointed. 

As  yet  no  sheep  had  bothered  them.  One  or  two 
flocks  had  come  down  from  the  foothills  on  their  way 
across  to  the  reserve,  but  Rob  had  warned  them  off. 
Seeing  that  their  favorite  bedding  ground  bad  been  filed 
on,  the  herders  had  pushed  on  to  the  "scab"  land. 

"Aren't  those  sheep  ?"  asked  Harry. 

"They  are,"  Rob  said  slowly.  Resting  on  his  shovel, 
he  gazed  up  at  the  point  where  the  buttes  divided  to 
form  a  deep  coulee. 

The  leaders  of  the  flock  had  come  rather  slowly  over 
the  crest  of  the  hill,  but  now  the  whole  herd  came 
pouring  down  the  glen.  The  thousand  or  more  animals 
bleated  crazily  as  they  smelled  the  water  and  the  deep, 
rich  grass  below  them.  Two  sheep  dogs  maneuvered 
them  with  short,  sharp  yelps,  glancing  back  for  direc- 
tions to  the  sheep  herder  who  stood  above  and  with  his 
hat  signaled  to  them  what  to  do. 

38' 


HOMESTEAD  RANCH 

Walking  toward  the  glen,  Eob  motioned  to  the  sheep 
herder  to  come  down.  At  first  the  man  paid  no  atten- 
tion, but  when  Rob  had  whistled  sharply  two  or  three 
times,  he  slowly  began  to  descend  the  hilL 

"He  doesn't  want  to  hear  me,"  Rob  said.  ^^ou'U 
see.  He'll  pretend  he  doesn't  understand.  Those 
Mexes  are  a  coony  lot;  pretend  to  be  stupid,  but  are 
sharp  as  nails  when  it  comes  to  hanging  on  to  a  good 
grazing  ground." 

Watching  the  sheep  flow  along,  Rob  and  Harry 
waited.  After  a  while  the  herder  came  down  the  glen 
toward  them. 

"Say,  he's  not  a  Hex  at  all !"  Rob  exclaimed.  *^e's 
an  American !     It  must  be  that  herder  of  Joyce's." 

The  herder,  who  was  a  good-looking,  heavily  built 
fellow  about  twenty  years  old,  stopped  and  looked  at 
Rob  without  speaking.  His  felt  hat  was  drawn  forward 
over  his  eyes.  He  carried  a  heavy  stick  that  was  thick 
and  knotted  at  the  end. 

"How  do!"  he  said,  glancing  inquiringly  from 
brother  to  sister. 

"I  suppose  you  know  that  this  land  has  been  filed 
on  ?"  Rob  began.  "I'll  have  to  ask  you  not  to  herd  your 
sheep  in  'round  here." 

'Who's  filed  on  it?" 

"I  have." 

"I  don't  see  no  fence." 

"I've  just  come  on,  and  haven't  got  the  fence  up 
yet ;  but  it's  mine,  just  the  same." 

"Well,  I  don't  know  if  it  is,"  the  young  fellow  replied 

39 


HOMESTEAD  IlA:NrCH 

insolently.  His  eyes  were  fastened  upon  'Thello,  who, 
crouching  at  Harry's  feet,  had  been  growling  at  him. 

"Where'd  you  get  that  pup?"  he  asked  shortly. 
"He's  mine." 

"Yours  V  EoVs  voice  was  quiet,  but  his  blood  was 
hot.     "I  don't  see  any  collar." 

An  angry  glint  shot  from  the  herder's  eyes.  "He^s 
mine,  just  the  same." 

"I  don't  know  if  he  is." 

'Well,  I'm  going  to  have  him!"  the  man  muttered, 
and  made  a  move  toward  the  dog. 

But  Harry  was  quicker.  Sweeping  'Thello  into  her 
arms,  she  stepped  back. 

'Whoever  owned  him  didn't  deserve  to!"  she  cried. 
"The  poor  little  thing  had  been  starved  and  beaten 
nearly  to  death  when  we  found  him,  and  I'm  not  going 
to  let  him  go." 

The  way  in  which  Harry  spoke  the  words,  with  her 
head  thrown  back  and  her  brown  eyes  shining,  carried 
a  challenge;  the  sheep  herder's  fist  tightened  on  his 
stick  and  his  face  darkened.  Then,  without  a  word, 
he  shrugged  his  shoulders  and  moved  off. 

"Eemember,"  called  Rob,  "you're  to  feed  on  the 
slopes.  I  want  the  meadows  for  my  own  stock,  and 
if  you  aren't  careful,  I'll  have  you  moved  outside  the 
two-mile  limit." 

The  fellow  stopped,  looked  back  at  them,  and  then 
answered,  "I  reckon  you  can't  do  just  that.  I've  filed 
on  the  homestead  just  east  of  this  here  one.     My  name's 

40 


HOMESTEAD  RANCH 

Boykin,  if  you  want  to  look  it  up."  Turning,  he  went 
on. 

There  was  a  minute  of  silence.  Then  Rob  said 
slowly,  "The  homestead  east;  the  land  I  meant  you  to 
take." 

Harry  could  not  answer.  A  queer,  surprising  shame 
and  regret  held  her  silent. 

She  and  Rob  walked  down  to  the  tent  without  speak- 
ing a  word.  Anything  that  Rob  might  have  said  would 
have  sounded  like  a  reproach,  and  of  what  use,  he 
thought,  would  that  have  been  now  ?  Harry  longed  to 
have  him  speak,  nevertheless,  to  have  him  say  some- 
thing that  would  show  how  he  did  feel.  She  was  much 
relieved  when  at  last  he  broke  the  silence. 

''Who's  that  coming?"  he  said  abruptly.  "I  believe 
it's  Brannan  with  the  cow  and  those  heifers." 

A  cloud  of  dust  was  puffing  along  the  road  toward 
the  ranch,  and  through  it  they  saw  a  man  on  horse- 
back, with  the  half-dozen  head  of  cattle  which  Rob  had 
bought  When  they  came  nearer  Harry  recognized  the 
little  man  as  the  same  who  had  spoken  to  Rob  in  the 
hotel  at  Shoshone. 

They  hurried  across  the  meadow  to  the  corral ;  with- 
out waiting  for  them  Dan  had  opened  the  gate  and 
begun  to  drive  in  the  cattle. 

Tired,  suspicious  and  frightened,  they  refused  to 
enter  and  started  off,  each  in  a  different  direction,  but 
they  had  reckoned  without  the  old  "cow  puncher." 
Harry  had  smiled  to  herself  when,  first  she  saw  the 

4fl 


HOMESTEAD  KANCH 

wizened  old  man  perched  upon  his  big  bay  horse;  but 
her  amusement  gave  way  to  wonder  and  admiration 
when  he  began  to  work  the  "critters"  back  toward  the 
corral. 

Bellowing  and  kicking  they  dodged  and  ran  but  Dan, 
with  his  dog  and  his  whip,  steered  them  back  and  drove 
them  finally  through  the  gateway. 

Harry,  Rob  and  Dan  looked  proudly  at  the  cattle. 

"A  nice  bunch  of  critters,"  said  Rob. 

"They  are  that,"  Dan  assented  gravely.  "As  good  as 
any  I  have  and  I've  the  best  herd  in  the  valley.  iNow 
yeVe  the  last  word  whin  some  felly  picks  on  'em." 

"A  good  start  is  half  the  journey,"  said  Rob,  "and 
I'm  obliged  to  you.  Come  up  to  the  tent,  Dan.  It's 
hot  work  riding  on  a  day  like  this,  and  sis  will  make 
us  some  lemonade." 

"I  see  you've  the  sheep  still  wid  ye."  Dan  nodded 
toward  the  hillside. 

"Got  'em  for  keeps."  Rob  went  on  to  tell  what  he 
had  just  found  out.  "The  worst  of  it  is,"  he 
said,  "that  that  herder  is  a  mean  one,  and  Joyce  is 
a  mean  one,  too;  so  between  them  I  guess  I'm  in  for 
trouble." 

Dan  nodded.  "Y'are.  Mver  did  ye  say  truer 
worrud.  Meanness  is  the  cud  thim  two  niver  swallys. 
But  I'll  be  tellin'  ye  a  thing,  lad." 

He  leaned  forward  and  laid  his  hand  on  Rob's  knee. 
"Ye  don't  want  to  let  thim  think  ye're  beaten.  That 
Joyce  has  half  a  dozen  homesteads  a'ready  that  he's 
paid  his  herders  to  file  on,  for  sure!     But  kape  yer 

42 


HOMESTEAD  EANCH 

eyes  open,  and  might  be  you'd  find  a  way  to  come  up 
with  him  yet." 

"I'm  ^raid  a  tenderfoot  like  me  hasn't  much  of  a 
show  against  an  old-timer  like  him." 

"Niver  say  it.  There  niver  was  a  rashcal  yit  that 
didn't  lave  wan  footprint  at  least  in  the  mud,  smart  as 
he'd  be,  and  it's  mebbe  you  that's  the  lad  wit'  the  eyes 
to  see  it.     Watch  him,  Rob,  watch  him." 

Rob  shook  his  head,  yet  nevertheless  he  felt  a  glow 
of  hope  in  his  heart. 

That  evening,  just  before  bedtime,  Jones  returned 
to  the  ranch,  spread  his  quilt  on  the  dry  grass  under  a 
tree  and  became  one  of  the  family.  He  was  good  com- 
pany, and  Harry  would  have  been  glad  to  have  him 
about,  except  that  he  took  so  much  of  Rob's  attention. 
Every  morning  at  sunrise  the  two  began  to  work  with 
the  colts,  breaking  them  one  by  one  to  bit  and  bridle, 
and  then  to  harness  and  wagon. 

As  soon  as  the  forenoon  grew  warm,  they  shut  the 
colts  in  the  meadow  at  the  head  of  the  draw.  This  was 
a  natural  pasture  lot,  watered  by  a  spring  that  flowed 
from  the  rocks  under  the  next  lift  in  the  foothills  and 
sheltered  on  all  sides  by  trees.  Here  the  horses  were 
safe  and  the  boys  paid  no  more  attention  to  them 
throughout  the  day.  Jones  always  rode  away  through 
the  valley  while  Rob  plowed,  went  on  with  his  task  of 
fencing,  or  did  some  work  in  the  garden.  After  supper 
the  boys  resimied  their  business  of  breaking  the  colts. 

Twice  Jones  had  ridden  away  in  the  evening  taking 
one  or  more  of  the  harness-broken  horses  with  him  and 

43 


HOMESTEAD  KANCH 

had  returned  some  days  later  without  them.  Harry 
supposed  that  he  had  sold  them.  Neither  Eob  nor 
Jones  ever  talked  about  the  horses  in  her  presence  and 
she  had  soon  understood  that  she  was  not  expected  to 
ask  questions  about  them. 

One  morning  Eob  asked  his  sister  to  put  up  some 
lunch  for  Jones  and  himself  because  they  were  going 
down  the  valley  on  business. 

Harry  put  up  the  lunch  and  stood  watching  while 
they  mounted  and  rode  off.  Among  the  string  of 
horses  which  Jones  had  brought  in  were  two  well 
broken  to  saddle,  a  black  and  a  sorrel,  and  to-day  the 
boys  each  rode  one  of  them.  These  two  horses  had  run 
loose  for  so  long  a  time  that  they  were  as  frisky  and 
spirited  as  the  colts.  As  the  little  party  swept  away 
across  the  wild  prairie  the  girl  longed  ardently  to  be 
with  them.  She  liked  to  ride — Eob  had  been  teaching 
her — and  it  did  seem  hard  that  she  should  not  be  al- 
lowed to  go  along  on  such  trips  as  these,  simply  because 
she  was  not  considered  a  proper  person  to  share  a  secret. 

Hurt  pride  mingled  with  resentment  struggled  to- 
gether in  her  breast.  It  was  hard  to  think  that  she 
was  still  outside  EoVs  deeper  interests.  Her  life  had, 
for  the  moment,  lost  its  zest.  She  finished  tidying  up 
the  tent,  then  went  down  to  the  garden  determined  to 
be  interested  in  her  own  tasks,  for  the  planting  and 
weeding  of  the  vegetables  that  Eob,  overwhelmed  in  the 
press  of  work,  had  been  forced  to  leave  to  her. 

She  put  in  several  rows  of  root  vegetables,  a  second 
planting  of  peas  and  beans  and  was  trying  to  feel  en- 

44 


HOMESTEAD  RANCH 

tlmsiastic  about  planting  com  when  a  soft  crooning 
call  made  her  turn. 

At  first  nothing  living  was  to  be  seen.  Then  a  quiver 
amongst  the  tall  weeds  and  grass  along  the  stream  caught 
her  eye,  and  there  came  into  sight  a  sage  hen  leading 
her  brood  of  five  chicks.  Advancing  sedately,  craning 
her  long  neck  to  keep  watch  on  every  side,  pausing  to 
strip  the  seeds  from  various  weeds,  crooning  her  furtive 
call  to  her  young,  the  mother  bird  moved  upstream 
toward  the  cool  shade  of  the  canon.  Suddenly  her 
black,  inquiring  eye  met  Harry's  friendly  but  eager 
stare.  For  an  instant  the  hen  stood  motionless,  her 
gray-brown  coloring  blending  her  confusingly  with  the 
sand  and  sagebrush  of  the  hillside  behind  her.  Then, 
with  a  short,  whistling  call  she  dropped  low  and  Harry 
saw  her  and  the  baby  chickens  slither  off  toward  the 
willows. 

With  a  sudden  determination  to  follow  and  have  a 
closer  look  at  these,  her  nearest  neighbors,  Harry 
dropped  her  hoe  in  the  fence  comer,  shut  'Thello  inside 
the  garden  so  he  could  not  chase  the  birds,  and  slipped 
quietly  up  the  draw  after  them. 


CHAPTEE  IV 

For  some  minutes  Harry  walked  along  the  stream 
Tvithout  seeing  or  hearing  the  sage  hen.  But  this  bit  of 
discouragement  only  increased  her  interest.  How  could 
they  hide  so  quickly  without  flying  ?  The  chicks  were 
too  young  to  fly  and  surely  fhe  hen  would  not  desert 
ihem !     JN'o,  there  they  were  now ! 

Harry  felt  her  blood  quicken  with<  interest  as  the 
covey  of  bark-gray  birds  slid  across  a  sun  patch  beyond 
the  willows  and  vanished  again  amongst  the  quaking 
asps  higher  up.  So  absorbed  did  she  become  in  this 
game  of  hide  and  seek  that  she  never  once  thought  of 
the  meadow  pasture  and  it  was  only  as  she  made  a 
detour  to  avoid  a  great  patch  of  fire-weed  that  she  came 
alongside  the  fence.  At  the  same  moment,  she  saw  a 
man  come  riding  slowly  across  the  shoulder  of  the  hill. 
He  appeared  to  be  watching  for  something,  for  he  rode 
slowly  and  looked  about. 

Harry  stood  perfectly  still,  hoping  he  would  not 
catch  sight  of  her.  But  her  light  dress  at  once  caught 
the  rider's  eyes  and  before  she  could  move  he  was  riding 
toward  her. 

He  was  a  tall,  big-shouldered  young  fellow,  dressed 
in  cowboy  fashion. 

"Seen  any  strays  round  here,  ma'am?"  he  asked, 
lifting  his  hat.     "I'm  looking  for  one." 

4^6 


HOMESTEAD  KANCH 

"Strays?    Horses,  you  mean?"  Harry  stammered. 

The  sound  of  the  stranger^s  voice  had  recalled  some- 
thing to  the  girl's  mind.  She  had  seen  this  man  before. 
His  voice,  his  smooth,  freckled  face,  his  blue  eyes — 
she  knew  them.  She  blushed  with  confusion,  for  the 
young  man  was  looking  at  her  intently. 

"I  don't  believe  there've  been  any  strays  here,"  she 
said.     "My  brother  might  know." 

"Your  brother  down  at  the  tent  yonder?" 

"No,  not  now.  He's  gone  off  with — ^with  another 
man." 

"You  ain't  got  no  horses  of  your  own  here  that  mine 
could  ha'  got  in  with  ?" 

"!N'o — ^yes — I  mean  we're  boarding  some  horses,  but 
they're  colts  and  inside  the  pasture,  and  I'm  sure  there 
are  no  strays  among  them." 

The  stranger  had  dismounted  and,  leading  his  horse, 
was  walking  beside  her. 

"Excuse  me,  ma'am.  Ain't  I  seen  you  before?"' 
he  asked. 

"That's  what  I  was  wondering,"  Harry  laughed. 
"But  I  can't  remember  your  name.  Mine  is  Harriet 
Holliday." 

"Sure  thing !  It  was  comin'  up  in  the  train,  wasn't 
it?    Mine's  Chris  Gamett." 

At  once  Harry  remembered.  After  telling  each  other 
that  they  were  glad  to  meet  again,  they  walked  on 
toward  the  tent.  "Whose  horses  are  those?"  Gamett 
asked,  pointing  at  the  big  team  in  the  corral. 

"Oh,  that's  the  work  team!" 

47 


HOMESTEAD  RANCH 

"I  thought  you  said  your  brother  was  off." 

*^es,  he's  riding  one  of  the  horses  we're  boarding." 

"A  colt?" 

''No,  you  see  there  were  two  old — ^I  mean  good, 
broken  horses  in  the  bunch.  Eob  and  the  fellow  who 
owns  the  horses  are  riding  them." 

Harry's  explanation  was  somewhat  jerky.  The  sub- 
ject of  Jones  and  his  horses  still  rankled  in  her,  and 
she  could  not  speak  of  them  naturally.  Garnett  looked 
at  her  gravely.  She  felt  the  color  rush  into  her  face 
and  her  eyes  fell. 

"You  must  stay  and  have  some  lunch,"  she  said  at 
last,  trying  to  turn  the  conversation  away  from  the 
painful  subject  "I  haven't  a  hot  dinner,  because  the 
boys  aren't  going  to  be  home,  but  I'd  like  to  have  you 
stay." 

To  her  surprise  Garnett  readily  accepted  her  invita- 
tion. While  she  was  setting  the  table,  she  kept  stealing 
glances  at  him,  and  tried  to  harmonize  her  memory  of 
the  very  boyish  person  she  had  met  on  the  train  with 
this  quiet  young  man.  He  was  the  same  big,  friendly 
fellow,  with  the  same  laughter-wrinkled  eyes ;  but  now 
there  was  something  beneath  his  reserve  that  she  could 
not  quite  understand.  Sitting  cross-legged  on  the  grass 
outside  the  tent,  he  played  with  'Thello,  and  talked 
casually  to  Harry  while  she  moved  about  inside.  All 
the  restraint  of  the  first  moments  had  apparently 
passed;  Garnett  said  nothing  more  about  the  horses 
until  he  left,  an  hour  later. 

"If  that  pony  of  mine  should  come  in  here,"  he  said, 

48 


HOMESTEAD  RANCH 

tuming  in  his  saddley  "I'd  be  a  lot  obliged  to  you  if 
you'd  send  me  a  line.  Soldier's  my  post  office.  That 
horse  of  mine  is  about  six  years  old,  sorrel,  ring-and- 
arrow  brand.     You'd  notice  him  in  a  bunch  of  cayuses." 

A  sorrel!  Harry's  thoughts  flashed  to  the  sorrel 
horse  which  Eob  had  ridden  away  that  morning. 
She  felt  a  pang  of  vague  apprehension,  and  wondered 
whether  Gamett  had  noticed  her  startled  look. 

When  Gamett  had  gone,  she  tried  to  reassure  herseK. 
Of  course  anything  that  Rob  took  an  interest  in  was 
all  right  5  but  why  did  he  Tceep  it  a  secret  from  her? 
Suppose  that  sorrel  horse  should  prove  to  have  the  ring- 
and-arrow  brand  ?  There  might  be  many  sorrels  with 
that  brand,  yet  her  heart  beat  more  nervously  and  her 
lips  grew  dry. 

An  idea  came  to  her,  and  she  ran  up  the  glen  toward 
the  pasture  where  the  colts  were  hidden.  She  knew 
that  the  sorrel  was  not  there,  but  she  wanted  to  see 
whether  the  colts  were  branded. 

When  she  reached  the  upper  end  of  the  glen  she 
ci*awled  through  the  barbed  wire,  and  was  just  emerging 
from  the  shelter  of  the  trees  when  she  saw  Gamett  ride 
along  the  fence  and  look  at  the  bunch  of  colts  inside. 

Harry  stepped  back,  instinctively  afraid  of  his  seeing 
her.  Why?  She  demanded  it  of  herself  fiercely. 
Why  should  she  feel  guilty  because  Rob  was  concealing 
something  from  her?  She  had  done  nothing  wrong. 
But  Gamett  suspected  something;  he  had  not  believed 
her. 

Humiliati(m  swept  over  her.     Even  after  Gamett, 

49 


HOMESTEAD  RANCH 

satisfied  that  his  horse  was  not  there,  had  ridden  away, 
and  after  she  had  returned  to  the  tent,  her  cheeks  burned 
at  the  thought,  "He  did  not  believe  me." 

She  determined  to  tell  Rob  about  the  whole  affair 
and  to  make  him  explain  the  mystery.  Also,  she  would 
look  at  the  brand  on  that  sorrel  horse. 

But  Rob  and  Jones  did  not  get  home  until  ten  o'clock. 
They  were  very  tired  and  hungry,  and  Harry  was  so 
busy  getting  supper  for  them  that  she  did  not  h'ave  a 
chance  to  go  into  the  matter. 

The  next  morning  Jones  rode  away  on  the  black  horse. 
When  Rob  had  gone  down  to  the  brush  to  work  on  the 
fence,  Harry  ran  out  to  the  corral  and  looked  at  the 
sorrel.  The  brand  was  perfectly  plain — ring  and 
arrow! 

Her  first  impulse  was  to  go  out  to  Rob  and  tell  him 
all  about  Gamett's  visit ;  but  when  she  thought  of  how 
completely  Rob's  work  always  absorbed  him,  she  hesi- 
tated. After  all,  what  was  the  use  of  breaking  into  his 
morning's  toil  with  her  story  ?  She  might  just  as  well 
wait  until  noon. 

As  she  stood,  irresolute,  her  gaze  wandered  to  the 
distant  prairie.  Now,  early  in  June,  every  minute  of 
the  day  brought  some  new  and  lovelier  expression  of 
nature's  magic  to  view;  the  color  that  filled  the  valley 
was  slowly  deepening  with  the  unfolding  year.  Ear 
down  the  prairie  spread  the  green  wheat  fields,  the 
squares  of  alfalfa  and  plowed  land,  the  pale  clouds  of 
pink  where  the  fruit  trees  were  in  bloom.     Through 

50 


HOMESTEAD  RA^^CH 

the  crystalline  air  the  curve  of  hill  and  hollow  shim- 
mered resplendent. 

Harry's  eyes  grew  vague  while  she  pondered.  For 
the  first  time  her  heart  went  out  to  her  new  surround- 
ings. She  had  heen  stupid  to  shut  herself  out  from 
partaking  of  this  land.  She  turned  restlessly  back  into 
the  tent. 

Regret  for  not  having  filed  on  the  land  next  to  Rob's 
and  the  thought  of  Jones  and  the  sorrel  horse  worried 
her.  It  was  intolerable  to  think  of  settling  down  to 
humdrum  tasks  of  housework  or  garden.  Calling 
'Thello  she  set  off  up  the  draw  in  the  dumb  desire  of 
"working  it  off"  outdoors. 

The  narrow  vale  between  the  towering  buttes  was  now 
at  its  loveliest.  Bees  buzzed  in  the  wild  rose  thickets ; 
wild  flowers  of  vivid  colors — scarlet,  blue,  violet  and 
yellow — dappled  the  earth  at  her  feet  and  even  splashed 
the  sides  of  the  barren  buttes.  Along  the  stream,  where 
the  ground  was  always  moist,  a  dense  tangle  of  weeds 
and  vines  had  sprung  up  and,  with  the  willows,  made  it 
difficult  to  get  through  except  in  certain  places. 

Harry  followed  the  same  course  she  had  taken  the 
day  before  when  following  the  sage  hen.  But  this 
morning  she  noticed  how  differently  the  ground  ap- 
peared. The  willows  had  been  broken  through;  the 
vines  had  been  torn  away;  and  the  stream  had  been 
trodden  into  a  slough  by  countless  hoofs.  Some  cattle 
had  come  through  on  their  way  to  the  hills,  but  they  had 
kept  to  the  draw  farther  east.     'Thello  sniffed  suspi- 

51 


HOMESTEAD  RANCH 

cioTisly  and  Harry  wondered  what  had  been  there ;  bnt 
as  she  crossed  the  brook  for  the  last  time  and  came  out 
onto  the  meadow  she  stopped  short.  A  great  flock  of 
sheep  were  feeding.  Spread  out  round  the  verdant 
basin  they  were  eating  silently,  steadily,  greedily,  with 
short,  close-cropping  nibbles  that  would  leave  nothing 
but  the  bare  ground  of  the  rich  pasture  before  them. 
At  sight  of  her,  one  or  two  ewes  "blatted"  and  moved 
on,  but  the  others  were  too  busy  feeding  to  notice  her. 

Harry's  first  astonishment  flared  suddenly  into  sharp 
indignation.  She  looked  round  and  saw  the  herder 
w'atching  her  from  a  rocky  knoll  near  by.  "Please 
come  down  here!"  she  called  sharply,  and  then  added 
to  herself,  "It's  that  Boykin — the  one  Rob  ordered  off 
before.     Miserable  creature !" 

He  came  down  very  slowly  and  stood  before  her  much 
as  he  had  stood  before  Rob,  with  his  eyes  smouldering 
imder  his  half-shut  lids. 

"Well,  come  to  fetch  me  my  dog  ?"  he  drawled. 

"Your  dog !  Didn't  my  brother  tell  you  not  to  feed 
down  here  ?    This  is  our  pasture." 

"Is  it?" 

"Yes,  you  know  it  is.  And  you  had  better  drive 
your  sheep  off  right  away,  too." 

"Had  I?" 

"Yes,  at  once."  Even  as  she  spoke  Harry  felt  how 
empty  her  words  were.  "You  know  perfectly  well  that 
you  have  no  right  on  our  land.  You're  spoiling  the 
pasture,  and  the  stream,  too.     I  wondered  what  had 

52 


HOMESTEAD  RANCH 

made  the  water  taste  so  queer.  It's  because  your  sheep 
have  been  in  it." 

"If  you  don't  like  it,  I  reckon  you  can  dip  out  of 
another  spring.     There's  plenty  in  these  hills." 

"How  dare  you  talk  so!"  Harry  was  trembling 
nervously.  "You  shall  see  whether  we'll  put  up  with 
such  lawlessness !" 

She  flew  home,  with  her  cheeks  hot  with  anger,  and 
with  the  sheep  herder's  laugh  echoing  in  her  ears. 
When  she  entered  the  tent  she  found  Rob  there. 

"Oh,"  she  cried  breathlessly,  "you  remember  that 
herder  you  told  not  to  come  in  here  ?  He's  up  in  the 
glen  now.  I've  just  seen  him.  I  told  him  to  go,  but 
he  won't.     He  laughed." 

Rob  walked  to  the  door.  "Will  dinner  be  ready  by 
twelve,  sis  ?" 

"I  guess  so.     Why  ?" 

"I'm  hungry,"  he  said  quietly.     "It's  eleven  now." 

Harry  stared  at  him.     "You  aren't  going  up  there  ?" 

"Yes,  after  dinner.  He'll  be  there  until  then,  won't 
he  ?  If  I  knew  where  to  find  the  camp  tender,  I'd  tell 
him  a  thing  or  two  about  that  herder — ^make  the  whole 
outfit  clear  out.  I  don't  care  if  Joyce  has  put  him  on 
the  next  homestead,  I  filed  here  first,  and  he  has  no 
right  to  put  the  man  on  there,  anyway.  I  don't  know 
whether  there's  any  law  in  this  country,  but  if  there 
is " 

He  left  the  tent  abruptly. 

Harry  began  mechanically  to  get  dinner.     When  it 

63 


HOMESTEAD  KAXCH 

was  ready,  she  blew  the  horn  and  Eob  came  in.  He 
said  nothing  about  the  sheep  herder,  but  ate  his  dinner 
cahnlj.  At  the  end  of  the  noon  hour  he  rose,  went  to 
the  door,  and  stood  looking  out. 

"I  don't  know  how  I'm  going  to  keep  those  fellows 
off,"  he  said,  half  to  himself.  "I  can't  let  my  work  go, 
to  be  chasing  them  all  the  time."  He  pushed  up  his 
hat  and  scratched  his  head  dubiously. 

"Of  course  not ;  but  if  they're  going  to  ruin  our  drink- 
ing water  and  eat  all  the  grass ^" 

"Oh,  I'm  going  to  drive  this  outfit  away!"  he  said, 
as  he  went  out. 

In  her  anger  and  excitement  over  the  sheep,  Harry 
had  completely  forgotten  Gamett  and  his  horse.  She 
began  to  gather  up  the  dishes,  and  then,  leaving  every- 
thing, ran  outside.  A  queer  excitement  filled  her. 
She  wondered  what  Rob  would  do.  He  had  disappeared 
beyond  the  willows  and  for  some  minutes  all  was  silent. 
From  where  she  stood  she  could  see,  above  the  top  of  the 
grove,  the  rocky  slope  of  the  hillside  running  across 
the  end  of  the  canon.  Suddenly,  from  that  hillside  a 
cloud  of  dust  began  to  rise.  Harry  could  hear  nothing, 
but  in  a  few  moments  she  saw  the  sheep  spread  up  over 
the  hill  and  scatter  in  all  directions.  The  dust  rose  in 
blinding  clouds;  the  sheep,  catching  the  panic  from 
their  leaders,  fled  wildly,  and  finally  disappeared  round 
the  hilltop.  Harry  sighed  contentedly  and  went  back 
to  her  dishes.  Rob  would  soon  come  in  and  tell  her 
what  had  happened.  Absorbed  in  her  work,  she  quite 
forgot  Rob.     'Not  until  some  time  later,  when  she  had 

54 


HOMESTEAD  RANCH 

hung  up  her  apron  and  was  putting  on  her  hat  with  the 
idea  of  joining  him  at  his  work,  did  she  remember 
where  he  had  gone. 

"Something  must  have  happened!"  she  exclaimed. 
"He's  been  gone  aknost  an  hour."  She  went  outside 
and  looked  up  toward  the  glen.  All  was  quiet;  she 
could  see  no  sheep  or  dust.  "He's  probably  goue  on 
over  the  hills,"  she  decided,  "driving  them  off  so  far 
that  they  cannot  come  back." 

Satisfying  herself  with  that  explanation,  she  went 
inside  and  sat  down  to  do  some  mending.  In  a  few 
moments  her  brother  came  slowly  into  the  tent. 

"Rob!"  she  cried  out.     "What  is  it?" 

His  face  looked  strange,  and  he  stared  at  her  without 
answering.  She  took  a  quick  step  forward  and  drew 
a  terrified  breath.  His  hair  was  matted  with  blood; 
blood  oozed  from  a  gash  on  his  forehead;  and  as  she 
felt  him  over  with  trembling  hands,  she  touched  a 
bruise,  swollen  and  dark,  at  the  base  of  his  skull. 

"Oh,  Bobs !  What  has  happened  to  you,  dear  ?  Oh, 
he's  fainting!     Bobs,  don't!     Oh,  what  shall  I  do!" 

Rob  had  turned  very  white;  he  swayed  dizzily,  and 
then  caught  himself. 

"I'll  lie  down  a  while!"  he  muttered.  "Feel  pretty 
mean.  That  fellow  beat  me  up.  Jumped  out  on  me 
from  the  bushes  before  I  saw  him.  I'd  run  the  sheep 
up  the  hill — was  waiting  to  see  if  they'd  come  back. 
He  knocked  me  over — ^kept  beating  me.  Must  have 
fainted." 

His  words  trailed  away  and  his  face  grew  moist  with 

55 


HOMESTEAD  RANCH 

sweat.     Stumbling  to  the  bed,  he  dropped  down  on  it. 

Harry  had  never  seen  a  person  faint,  and  for  a  mo- 
ment she  hung  over  Rob,  staring  at  him.  The  sight 
of  his  familiar  face,  bloodless  under  the  tan,  so  solemn, 
quiet,  and  strange,  filled  her  heart  with  a  passion  of 
remorse.     What  ought  she  to  do  ? 

The  only  restorative  at  hand  was  cold  water.  She 
bathed  Rob's  forehead,  rubbed  his  hands,  and  tried  to 
force  a  drink  between  his  teeth. 

Then  unexpectedly  Rob  stirred,  opened  his  eyes,  drew 
a  slow  breath,  and  smiled. 

"All  right,  sis,'^  he  murmured.  "—Just  rest  a 
whUe." 

Harry  smiled  back;  then  she  ran  outside  the  tent 
and  burst  into  tears. 

"I  must  get  a  doctor,"  she  murmured,  when  she  got 
control  of  herself. 

Returning  to  the  tent,  she  bathed  and  bandaged  her 
brother's  wounds.  The  cut  on  his  scalp  was  bleeding 
steadily,  though  slowly;  the  bruise  at  the  base  of  his 
skull  was  swollen  and  throbbing.  He  was  quite  con- 
scious now,  but  very  weak  and  dizzy  from  pain;  and, 
although  he  answered  her  when  she  spoke,  he  evidently 
wanted  to  rest  and  sleep. 

"How  in  the  world  am  I  ever  to  go  after  a  doctor  ?" 
she  thought  desperately.  "I  can't  harness  the  team  or 
even  put  a  saddle  on  the  pony.  If  I  had  only,  only 
learned !  I  suppose  I  shall  have  to  walk  to  Robinson's 
and  get  them  to  go  to  Soldier  for  me.  It  means  leaving 
Rob  alone  for  hours.     How  can  I  ever  do  it  ?" 

56 


HOMESTEAD  RANCH 

Tears  blinded  her  as  she  stared  down  at  him. 

"And  it's  all  my  fault!"  she  groaned.  "It  would 
never  have  happened  if  I  hadn't  been  so  hateful — hadn't 
made  him  go,  had  taken  the  homestead,  hadn't  kept 
'Thello  in  the  first  place !" 

She  felt  very  remorseful  and  penitent.  When  she 
had  made  Rob  as  comfortable  as  she  could,  and  had  put 
water  close  beside  him,  she  set  out.  The  fear  that  Rob 
would  die  haunted  her.  Sometimes  so  sharp  and  heavy 
•was  the  pain  of  leaving  him  there  alone,  and  so  dreadful 
the  fear  of  what  she  might  have  to  face  on  her  return, 
that  she  wavered  and  looked  back. 

Only  the  knowledge  that  her  brother's  need  of  a  doctor 
was  greater  and  more  urgent  than  his  need  of  her  drove 
her  on.  Through  the  heat  and  the  dust  and  the  white 
glare,  she  hurried,  hurried,  hurried.  As  she  rounded 
each  butte  in  succession  and  saw  the  empty  road  curving 
far  ahead  round  another,  she  wondered  passionately 
how  much  farther  Robinson's  was. 


CHAPTER  V; 

Harry  was  beginning  to  think  tliat  she  had  lost  her 
way,  when  suddenly,  as  she  topped  a  rise  in  the  road, 
she  saw  the  Robinson  ranch  lying  below  her  beside  the 
mouth  of  a  coulee.  Barns,  sheds,  corrals,  pens,  hay- 
stacks, and  ranch  house  lay  scattered  along  the  fence 
near  the  road.  The  buildings,  which  were  of  unpainted 
boards,  weathered  to  the  gray  of  the  desert,  reminded 
her  of  the  houses  she  had  seen  from  the  train ;  but  the 
path  from  the  gate  to  the  door  of  the  ranch  house  w^as 
bordered  with  flowers,  and  the  yard,  which  was  sepa- 
rated from  the  farm  fields  by  a  fence,  was  neatly  planted 
with  vegetables  and  fruit  trees. 

A  chorus  of  loud  barks  announced  Harry's  arrival. 
At  once  the  door  of  the  house  was  opened  a  crack  and 
several  children,  with  yellow,  tousled  heads,  peered  out. 
As  Harry  approached,  the  children  promptly  shut  the 
door,  but  at  her  knock  a  young  woman  with  a  fat, 
smiling  baby  on  her  arm,  opened  it. 

"How  do?     Come  in,  won't  you?"  said  the  woman. 

''Is  this  Mrs.  Robinson  ?"  asked  Harry,  on  the  thresh- 
old.    "I'm  Miss  HoUiday." 

"Glad  to  make  your  acquaintance.  Set  down.  You 
look  tired.  Norma,  let  the  lady  set  in  that  chair."  She 
drew  a  small  girl  from  a  plush  rocking-chair  and 
dragged  it  forward. 

58 


HOMESTEAD  RANCH 

"Thank  you,  I  can't  stop.  My  brother  has  been  hurf, 
terribly.  A  sheep  herder  attacked  him  and  beat  him 
ahnost  to  death.  He  must  have  a  doctor  at  once.  Can 
you  send  to  town  for  me?" 

Harry  spoke  rapidly.  She  was  spent  with  weariness 
and  heartache,  and  the  mention  of  Rob  brought  a  strang- 
ling sob  to  her  throat. 

"How  about !  Mr.  Holliday  hurt !"  Mrs.  Robinson 
set  the  baby  on  the  floor,  and  putting  her  hands  on  her 
hips,  stared  in  mingled  curiosity  and  sympathy  at  her 
visitor,  and  poured  out  questions  and  exclamations. 

Wiping  her  forehead  nervously  with  her  handker- 
chief, Harry  had  turned  abruptly  away.  She  shrank 
from  the  eager  interest  of  a  stranger,  and  had  to  force 
herself  to  answer  the  woman's  questions.  "It's  an  im- 
position, I  know,  to  ask  you  to  send  to  town  for  the 
doctor,'"  she  said,  ^Ibut  I  can't  leave  my  brother  alone 
long  enough  to  go,  and  I  don't  know  how  to  ride  very 
well,  anyway." 

"Sakes  alive,  girlie!  Nobody  don't  have  to  ride  to 
git  him.  You  kin  just  phone  over.  There's  the  phone 
right  there.  P'r'aps  I  better  ring  him  up  for  you. 
Like's  not  he's  at  the  hotel  gassin',  'stead  of  in  his 
office." 

Harry  was  only  too  glad  not  to  have  to  repeat  her 
troubles  to  the  doctor;  she  sat  limply  in  the  rocking- 
chair  and  fanned  herself  with  her  hat,  while  Mrs. 
Robinson  hunted  vocally  among  the  front  stoops  in  town 
for  "Doc"  Bundy. 

"If  a  body  was  to  wait  for  him  to  come  to  his  office/* 

69 


HOMESTEAD  EANCH 

declared  Mrs.  Kobinson,  "we  could  all  die  of  old  age 
before  ever  seein'  him.  I  got  him,  though.  He^s  to 
the  drug  store  gittin'  him  some  sodj.  Hello,  that  you, 
l)oc?  Yep,  Mrs.  Eobinson.  'Tain't  for  us.  Listen 
while  I  tell  you,  so's  you  can  come  on." 

When  she  had  finished  a  lengthy  description  of  Kob, 
his  ranch,  the  quarrel,  and  Rob's  injuries,  and  had  ad- 
jured the  doctor  to  hurry  and  to  bring  the  sheriff  with 
him,  Mrs.  Robinson  dropped  into  her  chair  and  pre- 
pared to  enjoy  her  visitor's  call;  but  when  she  looked 
at  Harry's  face,  she  exclaimed : 

"You  pore  thing!  You're  all  beat  out,  'ain't  you? 
You're  as  white  as  curdled  milk.  See  here !  You  catch 
hold  of  the  young  one  and  I'll  hook  up  the  rig  and 
carry  you  back  home.  Vashti  can  look  out  for 
the  others  and  get  her  dad's  supper.  I'll  call  her 
now." 

Mrs.  Robinson  left  the  room  followed  by  three  or 
four  tow-headed  youngsters,  who  were  clamoring  for 
bread  and  jam.  Harry,  with  the  baby  on  her  knee, 
leaned  back  in  the  plush  rocking-chair  and  looked 
vaguely  about  her.  Evidently  this  was  the  room  where 
the  family  lived,  for  besides  the  big  cookstove  and  the 
table  covered  with  oilcloth,  there  were  a  plush-covered 
lounge,  a  phonograph,  and  a  very  new,  shiny  bureau 
with  an  immense  plate-glass  mirror.  The  Robinsons 
had  money  to  spend  if  not  good  taste  in  spending  it,  she 
decided;  at  the  same  time  she  noticed  the  unpapered 
board  walls,  which  were  decorated  with  gaudy  calendars 
and   advertising  posters,    and   the  china,    which   had 

60 


HOMESTEAD  EAJSTCH 

evidently  been  recruited  from  "prize  package"  cereal 
boxes. 

Although  Mrs.  Robinson  might  be  ignorant  and 
crude,  Harry  gratefully  admitted  that  she  was  kind- 
hearted  to  drive  her  home  at  that  time  of  day.  Hearing 
the  rumble  of  wheels  and  the  voice  of  her  hostess  giving 
swift  and  numerous  orders,  she  went  to  the  door  and 
looked  out.  The  "rig,"  as  Mrs.  Robinson  had  called 
it,  was  a  light,  mud-spattered  mountain  wagon,  drawn 
by  a  team  of  half -broken  ponies  that  laid  their  ears  back 
and  showed  the  whites  of  their  eyes  alarmingly.  Mrs. 
Robinson  sat  in  the  front  seat,  with  one  foot  on  the 
brake. 

"Oughtn't  the  baby  to  have  something  more  on?" 
asked  Harry,  glancing  at  the  child's  bare  feet  and  ging- 
ham slip. 

"How  about !  Vashti,"  Mrs.  Robinson  called  to  the 
big-boned  girl  of  twelve  who  watched  them  from  the 
doorstep,  "you  fetch  ma's  shawl  off  the  bed.  And  re- 
member now,  the  beans  is  all  cooked ;  there's  pie,  and 
your  dad  likes  plenty  of  lard  in  his  hot  bread.  And  be 
sure  to  get  them  young  ones  to  bed  early,  or  I'll  warm 
their  jackets  for  'em  when  I  get  back." 

As  they  drove  out  of  the  gate,  Mrs.  Robinson  left 
an  ever  louder  stream  of  directions  flowing  behind  her, 
nntil  a  drop  in  the  road  hid  the  house  from  sight. 
Then  she  sighed  abruptly  and  became  silent. 

"It's  very  kind  of  you  to  drive  me  home,"  began 
Harry.  "I  appreciate  it  immensely;  but  what  will 
your  husband  think  ?" 

61 


HOMESTEAD  RAISTCH 

^'Oh,  he  won't  care.  He  can  do  for  hisself  as  good 
as  any  woman.  Men  folks  in  this  country  most  always 
learn  to  housekeep  when  they're  bachin'  it.  Why,  we 
were  married  when  I  was  fifteen,  and  came  out  here 
from  Nehrasky,  and  there  wasn't  another  woman  in 
twenty  miles  to  turn  to  for  help.  But  Robinson,  he 
could  show  me  hisself!" 

"At  fifteen!"  exclaimed  Harry.  "Why,  you  were 
just  a  child !     Weren't  you  lonely  ?" 

"I  guess  not!  There  was  too  much  to  do.  I  was 
likely  to  be  called  on  any  day  to  finish  seedin',  or  hayin', 
or  help  butcher,  or  what  not,  so  be  he  was  short-handed." 

^TBut  now,  with  all  your  little  children  to  take  care 
of,"  Harry  began,  but  she  stopped  short. 

She  had  been  watching  the  little  cayuse  ponies,  di- 
vided between  fear  of  their  suddenly  running  away 
and  admiration  of  the  cool  steadiness  with  which  Mrs. 
Robinson  held  them  in  check;  but  as  they  went  down 
the  bank  of  a  creek  that  had  been  dug  out  deep  by  the 
spring  freshet,  the  woman's  foot  slipped  from  the  brake 
and  the  wagon  rolled  upon  the  ponies  heels.  Mrs. 
Robinson  pulled  up  hard  on  the  reins,  but  the  ponies 
plunged,  clattered  across  the  shallow  ford,  and,  with 
their  ears  back,  dashed  up  the  opposite  bank. 

"ISTow,  you  ornery  varmints!  Quit  it!  Quit  it! 
Yes,  you  will,  too!  Whoa,  you!  If  I  don't  beat  the 
buttons  off  you  for  that !" 

Pouring  a  vivid  flood;  of  language  upon  the  ponies, 
Mrs.  Robinson  threw  the  brake  and  sawed  sharply  at 
their  mouths.         Suddenly  tjiere  was  a  jerk  and  a 

62 


HOMESTEAD  KANCH 

snap;  the  cheek  strap  of  the  off  horse's  bridle  swung 
loose. 

Harry  saw  the  leather  strap  fly  back,  and  saw  the 
pony  shake  its  head  and  shy ;  involuntarily  she  pressed 
the  baby  close  to  her.  But  Mrs.  Robinson  was  too  quick 
for  the  cayuse.  Pulling  the  ponies  square  across  the 
road,  she  faced  them  toward  the  boulders  that  marked 
the  edge  of  the  %ench" ;  then,  whipping  the  lines  round 
the  brake,  she  stepped  over  the  dashboard  and  out  along 
the  pole,  and  swung  herself  down  at  the  horses'  heads. 

"Now,  if  that  ain't  the  meanest  team  you  ever  saw, 
tell  mer  she  drawled,  as  she  wiped  her  face  with  her 
apron  and  looked  contemptuously  at  the  ponies.  "To 
bust  up  the  harness  when  there  ain't  a  thing  handy  for 
me  to  mend  it  with !  I  suppose  there  ain't  an  inch  of 
balin'  wire  in  the  wagon.  You  couldn't  look,  could  you, 
girlie  ?     I  don't  want  to  leave  this  fool  pony." 

"Here's  something !  I  don't  know  whether  it's  baling 
wire,"  Harry  said,  after  making  a  careful  survey  of 
the  wagon  box,  "but  there's  a  piece  of  wire  round  the 
whip  socket." 

"Sure  thing,  I'd  forgot  that.  Lay  the  young  one 
down  and  get  it  for  me,  will  you  ?" 

Harry  obeyed,  and  Mrs.  Eobinson,  cool  and  uncon- 
cerned, mended  the  bridle.  Then  she  climbed  into  the 
wagon,  started  the  horses,  and  took  up  the  conversation 
as  if  it  had  never  been  broken  off. 

Ashamed  to  reveal  her  fear,  Harry  forced  herself  to 
listen  and  to  talk ;  but  when  they  drew  near  the  ranch 
her  thoughts  rushed  forward,  and  she  could  think  only 

63 


HOMESTEAD  EANCH 

of  Rob.  The  moment  they  stopped  at  the  corral  she 
was  out  of  the  wagon,  and  with  an  apology  to  Mrs. 
Robinson  for  leaving  her  to  unharness  alone,  she  hurried 
across  the  slope.  Her  brother  lay  as  she  had  left  him, 
with  one  arm  up,  shielding  his  face  from  the  flies  that 
swarmed  in  the  hot,  sunny  tent.  He  was  awake,  but 
feverish  and  in  pain.  Bringing  a  basin  of  water,  Harry 
began  to  change  the  bandages.  While  she  was  busy, 
Mrs.  Robinson  appeared,  with  the  baby  in  her  arms. 

"How  about  feedin'  the  critters?"  she  asked,  as  she 
declared  her  sympathy.  "The  pigs  ain't  been  slopped 
nor  the  chickens  fed,  I  expect.  I  don't  see  the  cow 
nowheres.  Like's  not  she's  feedin'  up  in  one  of  them 
draws  along  the  hills.  'Slong's  you  ain't  milkin'  her 
it  don't  matter.  She'll  get  back  when  she's  thirsty. 
Now,  don't  you  move,"  she  added,  as  Rob  tried  to  rise. 
"I'll  see  to  the  whole  outfit." 

"I'd  forgotten  all  about  the  critters !"  muttered  Rob. 
He  tried  to  lift  himself,  and  then,  sinking  back  with  a 
gasp  of  pain,  closed  his  eyes.     "I  certainly  feel  mean." 

"You  mustn't  think  of  moving,"  protested  Harry. 
^'Mrs.  Robinson  is  here.  She's  looking  after  every- 
thing. She's  been  awfully  kind ;  telephoned  to  the  doc- 
tor, drove  me  home,  and  everything." 

A  look  of  relief  crossed  Rob's  face.  He  smiled,  and 
murmured,  "That's  great!"  and  suddenly  Harry  real- 
ized that  under  their  neighbor's  matter-of-fact  manner 
there  had  been  more  genuine  kindness  and  a  greater 
willingness  to  help  than  she  had  appreciated. 

Harry  longed  to  drop  down  beside  Rob  and  sleep; 

64 


HOMESTEAD  RANCH 

never  had  she  heen  so  weary.  But  she  realized  that 
Mrs.  Eobinson  must  be  hungry,  for  it  was  ahnost  eight 
o'clock.  Harry  had  built  the  fire  and  was  moving 
stiffly  about,  trying  to  think  what  she  could  prepare 
from  her  meager  supply  of  groceries,  when  Mrs.  Robin- 
son returned. 

"Say  now,"  the  woman  exclaimed,  "you  let  me  get 
supper!  You're  wore  to  a  feather  edge.  I'll  knock 
up  a  pan  of  hot  bread  and  fry  a  little  fat  meat,  and 
that'll  do  us,  bein'  as  there's  no  men  to  cook  for." 

After  supper,  Harry  and  Mrs.  Robinson  washed  the 
dishes.  The  doctor  had  not  yet  come,  and  the  girl  was 
worried. 

"Well,"  said  Mrs.  Robinson,  "it's  a  twenty-mile  drive 
out  here,  and  it  was  close  on  to  six  when  I  called  him. 
There,  now!  Hear  that?  I  guess  that's  him  this 
minute." 

Both  women  hurried  outside.  The  silhouette  of  a 
horseman  showed  against  the  sky,  and  a  voice  called, 
"ThisHolliday's?" 

"That's  right,"  replied  Mrs.  Robinson.  "We're 
waitin'  for  you.  Doc." 

The  next  moment  the  doctor,  a  sallow-faced  Ken- 
tuckian,  swung  from  his  saddle  and  clumped  into  the 
tent ;  he  had  turned  up  a  wrong  trail,  he  said,  in  apology 
for  being  late. 

Harry  held  the  lamp  for  him  while  he  cleansed  the 
wound  and  took  a  few  stitches  in  it.  He  gave  Harry 
directions  for  caring  for  it,  and  left  lint  and  antiseptics. 
There  was,  he  said,  nothing  more  that  he  could  do  j  f  or- 

65 


HOMESTEAD  RANCH 

tunately  all  danger  of  concussion  from  the  blow  at  the 
base  of  the  skull  had  passed,  and  the  other  injuries  were 
only  flesh  wounds.  All  Rob  needed  was  to  keep  quiet 
for  a  few  days.  The  sheriff,  he  explained,  had  not  been 
able  to  come,  because  he  had  gone  to  Scalp  Creek  to  in- 
vestigate a  shooting  affair.  While  the  doctor  was  get- 
ting ready  to  leave,  Mrs.  Robinson  wrapped  the  baby 
in  her  shawl. 

"If  it's  all  the  same  to  you.  Doc,"  she  said,  "seein' 
as  it's  on  your  road,  I'd  be  mighty  obliged  if  you'd 
drive  me  over.  The  ponies  are  that  mean  to-night! 
You  can  hitch  yours  on  behind  the  wagon." 

Harry  went  down  to  the  corral  with  them  and  stood 
in  the  moonlight  holding  the  sleeping  baby  while  Mrs. 
Robinson  caught  and  harnessed  the  horses.  Harry  felt 
a  generous  impulse  of  admiration  for  the  self-reliant, 
fearless  ranchwoman,  and  when  she  said  good  night 
asked  her  cordially  to  come  again. 

"If  she  were  only  a  little  more  civilized  and  con- 
genial !"  thought  Harry  regretfully,  looking  after  them 
until  they  had  vanished  amid  the  moonlit  ghosts  of 
pagebrush,  and  the  rattle  of  wheels  had  died  away. 

"I  guess  it  would  be  better,  though,  if  I  were  more 
like  her,"  she  suddenly  confessed  to  herself.  "Every- 
thing she  does  counts,  while  I  just  rush  round  and  waste 
my  breath.  Of  course  she's  learned  how, while  I  have 
been  learning  civilized  things;  but  if  I'm  to  stay  out 
here  I'd  better  learn  how  to  live  here." 

She  took  up  her  work  the  next  morning  with  a  fre^ 
incentive  and  in  a  happy  spirit.     Caring  for  the  ani- 

66 


HOMESTEAD  KANCH 

mals  was  not  such  a  bore  as  she  thought  it  would  be. 
She  went  first  to  the  chickens  and  pigs;  next  she  at- 
tended to  the  horses  and  heifers  in  the  corral.  The 
cow  was  nowhere  in  sight. 

"I  wonder  when  Jones  will  get  back?"  she  thought. 
"!N'ow  that  he  might  really  be  of  some  use,  of  course 
he's  not  here." 

She  finished  her  work,  made  Rob  comfortable,  and 
then  went  to  walk  over  the  ranch  to  see  in  which  of  the 
grassy  coulees  the  cow  had  stayed  to  feed. 

The  hundred  and  sixty  acres  that  the  fence  inclosed 
afforded  plenty  of  range  and  good  pasture,  and  there 
was  no  apparent  reason  why  the  cow  should  break  out ; 
but  although  Harry  searched  every  gully  and  behind 
every  rock  ledge,  she  could  not  find  her. 


CHAPTEE  VI 

It  was  several  days  before  Rob  was  able  to  get  about 
as  usual.  His  head  ached  when  he  tried  to  walk  and 
his  muscles  were  stiff  and  sore. 

On  waking  the  morning  after  he  was  hurt,  he  asked 
whether  Jones  had  come  back  again.  He  seemed  a 
little  troubled  to  learn  that  he  had  not  yet  returned. 
When  the  next  two  days  passed  without  bringing  Jones, 
Rob  became  plainly  disturbed. 

"He  might  at  least  send  me  word  if  anything  has 
gone  wrong,"  he  declared. 

"Perhaps  he's  gone  after  more  colts/'  Harry  sug- 
gested. "He's  sold  a  good  many  of  those  he  had  here, 
hasn't  he?" 

"About  half  of  them ;  but  he  wouldn't  bring  in  more 
— not  now,  anyhow." 

"Why  not?" 

"Oh,  because.     He  simply  wouldn't." 

Harry  kept  silent,  for  she  saw  that  Rob  did  not  want 
to  say  any  more  about  the  matter.  He  seemed  so 
greatly  worried  over  Jones's  absence  that  she  restrained 
her  impulse  to  tell  him  about  Gamett  and  his  sorrel 
horse. 

On  the  third  day  Rob  got  up  and  announced  that  he 
was  going  to  work. 

"The  first  thing  you  know  the  cattle  will  be  coming 

68 


HOMESTEAD  RA:N^CH 

in  round  here  to  feed,  and  if  I  don't  get  that  extra 
strand  of  wire  round  mj  fence  before  they  get  here,  my 
critters  will  be  up  and  off  with  the  others." 

Harry's  heart  thumped.  "I  might  as  well  tell  you, 
Bobs.     The  cow  is  gone  already." 

"Hey  ?"  Eob  turned  quickly  and  stared  at  her.  He 
looked  pale  and  thin  now  that  he  was  standing.  "When 
did  the  cow  get  out  ?" 

"I  don't  know — exactly.  The  day  you  got  hurt,  I 
guess." 

"She  may  be  in  Boise  by  this  time.  Did  the  heifers 
go,  too  ?" 

"N'o,  they  are  all  here." 

"Thank  goodness !  Well,  I'll  get  right  out  after  the 
other  beast.  I've  heard  Dan  say  a  dry  cow  is  a  mean 
critter  to  keep  tabs  on.  Put  me  up  a  lunch,  will  you, 
sis,  while  I'm  saddling  the  pony  ?" 

'*Bobs!  You  aren't  going  to  start  out  to-day?  In 
this  hot  sun  ?" 

"The  longer  I  wait  the  hotter  it'll  get  and  the  farther 
I'll  have  to  ride." 

"Couldn't  you  send  one  of  the  Robinson  boys  ?" 

"And  pay  hun  two  dollars  a  day?  They  couldn't 
go,  anyhow.  The  whole  family  is  busy  irrigating  and 
plowing  for  fall  wheat.  Don't  worry,  sis ;  that  scratch 
on  my  scalp  looks  worse  than  it  feels.  I  may  find  the 
cow  right  down  along  the  creek." 

Rob  went  up  the  glen  to  the  pasture  to  get  his  saddle 
horse.  He  was  gone  a  long  time  and  came  back  looking 
much  troubled. 

69 


HOMESTEAD  KANCH 

"I  don't  Tinderstand  it"  he  said.  "The  gate  is  open 
Tip  there  and  all  the  colts  are  gone.     My  pony,  too." 

"Kob — ^who  could  have  done  it,?  Do  you  think  they 
were  stolen  ?" 

"I  don't  think  so.  There's  been  no  horse  stealing 
round  here  since  that  gang  was  rounded  up  last  spring 
— ^just  when  you  came,  you  remember?  No,  I  can't 
imagine  what's  happened  unless  Boykin  opened  the 
gate  for  spite.     Do  you  know  when  he  went  out  ?" 

"The  day  after  he  attacked  you.  I  heard  the  sheep 
crossing  the  meadow  in  the  morning  when  I  was  getting 
fresh  water  for  you." 

"Wait  until  I  find  Joyce!  If  he  thinks  I'm  going 
to  put  up  with  such  work  he's  mistaken.  I'll  have  to 
ride  old  Rock.  What  will  Jones  s.ay  when  he  finds 
those  colts  are  gone  ?  And  how  can  we  ever  round  'em 
up  again  ?" 

"It  isn't  your  fault.  Why  doesn't  he  come  and  take 
care  of  his  own  stock  ?" 

"Something's  happened,  I  suppose.  He  wouldn't 
stay  off  like  this  for  nothing.  I  ought  really  to  go  after 
the  colts  instead  of  the  cow." 

Eob  went  down  to  the  corral,  and  soon  Harry  saw 
him  riding  back,  not  on  Rock,  but  on  the  sorrel  with 
the  ring-and-arrow  brand. 

"I'd  forgotten  we'd  left  this  horse  down  in  the 
corral,"  he  said,  looking  much  relieved.  "Well,  now 
I  shan't  be  gone  a  week,  as  I  expected  to  if  T  rode  old 
Rock." 

Harry  started  to  speak  and  then  changed  her  mind; 

70 


HOMESTEAD  RANCH 

there  could  be  nothing  wrong  in  Jones's  secrets  about 
the  horses  if  Rob  did  not  disapprove  of  them.  Doubt- 
less there  were  plenty  of  sorrels  with  the  ring-and-arrow 
brand,  and  after  keeping  this  one  so  long  for  Jones, 
there  could  be  no  harm  in  Rob's  getting  some  service 
from  it. 

So,  instead  of  telling  Rob  about  Garnett,  she  said, 
"That's  a  pretty  good  pony,  isn't  it?  About  how  old 
is  he?" 

Rob  had  just  mounted.  "About  six  or  seven  years, 
I  should  think,"  he  said,  as  he  rode  off. 

He  was  gone  all  day,  but  he  foi^nd  neither  the 
horses  nor  his  cow." 

"I'll  go  out  to-morrow,"  he  said  at  supper,  "and  stay 
until  I  find  some  of  these  strays." 

"You — ^you  won't  come  back  at  night  ?" 

"Probably  not.     Why?" 

^'Nothing — much.  That  is,  I  only  thought  you 
might  be  able  to  go  to  town  in  a  day  or  two.  We  need 
several  things." 

Harry  twisted  her  fingers  together  and  tried  to  con- 
trol  her  voice.  To  have  Rob  stay  away — to  leave  her 
all  alone!  She  stood  silent,  looking  up  at  him.  She 
must  not  let  him  see  that  she  was  afraid,  for  she  had 
determined  never  to  complain  again. 

Nevertheless,  she  waited  almost  breathlessly  for  him 
to  answer. 

"All  right,  then,"  he  said,  after  a  moment.  'T!'ll 
come  back  to-morrow  night,  and  we'll  go  to  town  the 
day  after." 

71 


HOMESTEAD  EANCH 

As  soon  as  Rob  had  ridden  off  the  next  morning, 
Harry  b^an  to  put  the  tent  in  order  and  to  arrange 
for  the  journey  to  town.  She  prepared  a  luncheon  for 
the  trip,  washed  a  pair  of  overalls  for  Rob,  got  out  a 
clean  flannel  shirt  for  him,  and  sewed  a  button  on  his 
coat.  She  had  by  this  time  learned  to  regard  overalls 
as  "driess-up"  garments. 

In  the  afternoon  she  Went  out,  to  irrigate  the  garden. 
While  she  was  cultivating  at  one  end,  a  ditch  broke  at 
the  other  and  let  the  water  rush  down  across  half  the 
rows.  She  had  hard  work  repairing  the  damage,  anxi 
was  so  busy  that  she  lost  all  track  of  time.  In  fact, 
she  did  not  realize  that  the  sun  had  set  until  a  long- 
drawn  melancholy  howl  from  the  butte,  answered  sudr 
denly  by  a  chorus  from  the  "scab"  land,  told  her  that 
the  coyotes  were  out  for  the  night. 

"Probably  Bobs  went  farther  than  he  realized,"  she 
decided,  when  at  nine  o'clock  she  sat  down  alone  to  eat 
her  supper. 

At  ten  o'clock  Rob  had  not  yet  come.  What  could  be 
keeping  him?  Had  the  pony  stumbled  and  thrown 
him?  Could  he  have  had  a  sunstroke?  Suppose  he 
had  fainted  out  there  alone — ^without  water 

Resolutely  Harry  turned  from  such  thoughts.  He 
had  probably  lost  his  way  and  would  get  home  very 
late.     She  would  be  foolish  to  sit  up  for  him. 

She  undressed  very  slowly,  listening,  hoping  to  hear 
the  sound  of  the  pony's  hoofs;  but  soon  she  grew  too 
sleepy  to  listen  for  them. 

72 


HOMESTEAD  KANCH 

When  she  awoke  it  was  broad  daylight ;  the  clock  had 
stopped  and  Rob  had  not  come.  She  went  to  the  door- 
way and  looked  all  round.  The  same  silence,  the  same 
blaze  of  sunlight,  the  same  solitude.  Was  it  really 
another  day?  In  the  unbroken  quiet  everything 
seemed  at  a  standstill.  She  did  the  chores  and  worked 
in  the  garden ;  but  all  the  time  she  listened.  And  Rob 
did  not  come. 

The  day  passed,  and  another  night.  She  slept  fit- 
fully. Several  times  she  thought  she  heard  the  beat 
of  hoofs,  and  trembling  with  hope,  hurried  out  to  look. 
When  the  third  day  passed  without  bringing  Rob, 
Harry  knew  that  something  had  happened  to  him. 

She  sat  beside  the  table  in  the  evening  with  her  head 
in  her  hand.  She  wished  that  it  were  not  too  late  to 
go  over  and  talk  with  Mrs.  Robinson.  She  felt  the 
instinct  to  lay  her  troubles  upon  some  one  else.  Then 
she  bethought  herself  and  crushed  down  the  impulse. 
The  Robinsons  were  all  busy  with  the  haying.  She 
had  no  right  to  call  upon  them  for  help,  and  moreover, 
she  would  be  ashamed  to  do  it.  She  must  help  herself. 
She  would  drive  the  twenty  miles  to  Soldier,  and  send 
some  one  out  to  look  for  her  brother. 

When  her  alarm  clock  rang  the  next  morning  she 
hopped  resolutely  out  into  the  chilly  dawn,  dressed,  and 
got  her  breakfast. 

No  one  who  is  used  to  handling  horses  can  under- 
stand Harry's  feelings  as  she  lifted  the  heavy  set  of 
harness  from  the  peg  beside  Rock's  stall  and  dragged 

73 


HOMESTEAD  EANCH 

it  over  Ms  back.  She  had  watched  her  brother  often 
as  he  harnessed  the  team,  and  remembered  something 
about  the  way  he  had  done  it ;  but  it  was  mostly  by 
luck  that  she  got  the  various  straps  into  their  proper 
places.  Her  heart  beat  nervously  as  she  led  the  horses 
out  of  the  corral  and  backed  them  up  before  the  wagon. 
Suppose  they  should  run  away?  But  Kock  and  Rye 
were  a  steady  team,  and  stood  serenely  while  Harry 
fastened  the  tugs.  It  was  only  half-past  seven  o'clock 
when  she  left  the  ranch,  but  she  felt  &s  if  she  had  al- 
ready done  a  day's  work. 

She  drove  slowly  at  first,  afraid  that  something  would 
go  wrong  with  the  harness  or  that  the  horses  would  run 
away ;  but  after  the  first  few  miles  her  spirits  rose  above 
her  worries,  and  by  the  time  she  reached  the  Robin- 
sons' ranch  she  was  enjoying  every  moment  of  the  ride. 

As  she  passed  the  house  Vashti  burst  from  the  door 
and,  waving  a  letter,  ran  toward  her. 

"You  want  me  to  post  this  ?"  Harry  asked,  as  she 
pulled  up  the  horses. 

"Oh,  no !  It's  for  you,"  Vashti  said,  and  thrust  the 
envelope  into  Harry's  hand.  "Hank  Miller  fetched  it 
out  from  Hailey  yestiddy." 

"It's  from  Rob !"  exclaimed  Harry,  and  laughed  with 
relief.  Then,  as  her  eyes  flew  down  the  sheet,  her  face 
clouded.     The  note  read : 

Dear  Harry.  I'm  in  the  jug  at  Hailey.  It's  about 
those  horses  of  Jones's.  Bring  that  paper  he  gave  me. 
It's  a  bill  of  sale.     I  stuck  it  up  behind  the  clock  on 

74 


HOMESTEAD  RANCH 

the  shelf,  next  to  the  coffee  grinder.  Come  over  with 
it  as  soon  as  you  can.  Get  one  of  the  R.  bojs  to  tend 
the  stock  while  you're  gone.  Rob. 

"  'Tain't  bad  news,  is  it  ?"  Vashti's  voice  broke 
Harry's  dismayed  silence. 

"What  ?  O  Vashti,  I  must  go  to  Hailey  this  minute. 
Can  one  of  the  boys  tend  the  stock  while  I'm  gone? 
Thanks  ever  so  much.  Which  is  the  shortest  way  to 
Hailey  ?     I  suppose  I  must  go  by  way  of  Soldier  ?" 

"No.  Cross  the  river  by  the  lower  bridge  and  then 
strike  for  the  pike  about  Willow  Creek."  Vashti 
pointed  eastward.  "You'd  ought  to  make  it  before 
dark  if  you  hustle." 

"How  far  is  it  ?     I  don't  know  the  road  at  all." 

'^ou  don't !  Say !  You  want  to  watch  for  the  big 
pillar  butte.  It's  on  the  right  where  the  road  splits 
to  go  over  the  mountains.  And  say !  Keep  to  the  east 
whenever  you  hit  a  fork.  Where  are  you  going  ?"  she 
added,  as  Harry  turned  the  team  homeward. 

"I've  got  to  go  back  and  get  a  paper  Rob  wants." 

"Say !"  Vashti  called  after  her  suddenly.  "Let  me 
go  for  you.  I  can  ride  over  there  on  Greezer  and  back 
while  you're  gettin'  turned  round." 

Without  waiting  for  an  answer  the  little  girl  ran  to 
the  corral,  led  out  the  pony,  flung  a  saddle  over  his 
back,  shoved  the  bridle  over  his  ears,  and  came  back 
to  Harry  on  the  run. 

"Now,  Where's  your  paper  ?"  Vashti  asked.  "You  go 
on  toward  the  bridge,"  she  continued,  when  Harry  hkd 

75 


HOMESTEAD  EANCH 

told  her  where  to  find  the  bill  of  sale.  "I'll  come  across 
the  scab  land  and  meet  you." 

With  envy  and  admiration  and  gratitude  in  her  heart 
Harry  watched  the  small  figure  in  red  calico  speed  away 
across  the  sagebrush. 

"If  I  could  only  go  like  that!"  she  thought  with  a 
sigh.  "Well,  I  guess  I'm  not  too  old  to  learn,  and  if 
iVashti  will  teach  me,  maybe  I  can  teach  her  something 
she'd  like  to  know." 

She  had  scarcely  ^ve  minutes  to  wait  at  the  bridge 
before  Vashti  came  up  with  the  precious  paper. 
"You'll  have  to  jack  them  there  plugs  up  some  if  you're 
goin'  to  make  it,"  the  little  girl  remarked.  "Wait.  I'll 
get  you  a  wilier." 

Slipping  off  her  horse,  she  went  down  the  bank  of 
the  river.  In  a  minute  she  returned  with  a  long,  stout 
willow  wand.  "  'Tain't  so  good  as  a  blacksnake,  but 
it'll  make  'em'  step  along  some." 

"Thank  you,  Vashti.  If  I  do  get  there,  it  will  be 
entirely  owin^  to  you !"  Harry's  words  made  the  small 
girl  smile  with  pleasure. 

"It's  just  as  Bobs  said,"  Harry  confessed  to  herself. 
"They're  as  kind-hearted  and  friendly  as  can  be  when 
you  once  know  them,  and  all  the  ^education'  in  the 
world  isn't  as  valuable  out  here  as  what  they  know!" 

As  she  drove  along  she  kept  thinking  about  the 
Robinsons,  and  of  her  own  life  on  the  ranch,  and  of 
Rob's  present  trouble.  She  was  so  busy  with  her 
thoughts  that  she  did  not  notice  the  road,  which  mean- 
dered across  the  prairies  without  even  a  tree  or  a  butte 

76 


HOMESTEAD  RANCH 

for  landmark.  This  end  of  the  prairie  had  never  been 
laid  off  in  ranches;  it  was  too  rough  and  too  much 
broken  by  waves  of  lava  that  had  at  one  time  poured 
down  through  the  valley.  Eor  miles  there  was  no  sign 
of  human  existence,  no  fence,  no  house,  no  cattle.  The 
girl  did  not  realize  that  she  ought  to  be  observing  all 
the  details  that,  in  the  desert,  take  the  place  of  the  sign- 
posts of  civilized  regions.  She  had  grown  drowsy  with 
the  monotony  of  the  ride,  but  as  the  time  passed,  she 
glanced  at  the  sun.  It  was  getting  low,  and  the  pillar 
butte  had  not  yet  come  into  view.  Feeling  sure  that 
she  would  see  it  after  the  next*  turn,  she  urged  the 
horses  to  a  trot ;  then  suddenly  she  drew  a  sharp  breath 
of  dismay.  The  road  had  dipped  into  a  small  meadow 
sunk  among  the  buttes,  and  ended.  Harry  pulled  up 
the  team  and  stared.  Before  her  lay  a  long  wooden 
platform.  Tent  pegs  still  stood  in  the  ground,  which 
was  littered  with  camp  leavings  and  piles  of  refuse 
wool.  It  was  a  shearing  floor.  She  had  taken  the 
wrong  road. 

She  sat  still  a  moment,  wondering  what  she  ha4  better 
do.  She  had  no  idea  how  far  past  the  right  turn  she 
had  come.  The  best  plan  would  be  to  feed  and  water 
the  horses  here  and  then  turn  back.  She  ate  her  bread 
and  bacon  and  drank  from  the  canvas  bag  slung  beneath 
the  wagon ;  she  envied  'Thello,  who  had  promptly  laid 
himself  down  in  the  shallow  stream  that  oozed  from 
the  meadow. 

As  she  drove  back,  she  watched  ahead  for  the  place 
where  the  road  branched,  unaware^  that,  cm  her  way 

77 


HOMESTEAD  EAISTCH 

into  the  hills,  she  had  passed  not  one  but  two  forks  of 
the  road. 

By  degrees  the  ridges  that  inclosed  the  flats  drew 
nearer.  Great  chimneys  of  lava,  pillars  and  obelisks  of 
red  granite  and  blocks  of  iron-stained  quartz  crowded 
the  road,  which  curved  and  swerved  amongst  them. 
Sometimes  she  drove  beneath  a  threatening  stone 
bridge;  sometimes  the  wagon  squeezed  between  tilted 
stone  slabs;  sometimes  it  bumped  over  a  sharp  descent 
of  ledges.  The  rocks  ahead  took  on  weird,  fantastic 
shapes  that  made  them  look  like  the  ruins  of  a  fire- 
swept  city — long  streets  of  toppling  houses,  palaces, 
towers,  dungeons — flighted  by  the  flames  of  the  wester- 
ing sun. 

So  hideously  real  was  it  that  Harry  found  herself 
listening  for  the  uproar  of  cries  that  would  have  been 
part  of  an  actual  fire.  The  silence  made  it  more  hor- 
rible, and  in  that  silence  she  began,  to  be  afraid.  She 
stopped  the  horses  and  sat  still.     She  was  lost. 

She  did  not  know  which  way  to  turn;  once  astray 
in  this  labyrinth  of  rocks,  she  mighl  never  be  able  to 
find  her  way  out.  The  horses,  thirsty  and  tired,  stood 
with  drooping  heads.  'Thello,  who  lay  at  the  roadside 
softly  panting,  glanced  inquiringly  up  at  her. 

"Yes,"  she  said,  as  if  answering  his  question,  "I've 
got  to  get  out  of  here  somehow.  It's  absurd.  I  must 
get  out." 

Keeping  her  eyes  on  the  road,  she  slowly  backed  the 
horses.  The  sun  was  setting,  and  on  the  hard,  thin  soil 
that  covered  the  bed  rock,  wagon  tracki^  were  hard  to 

78 


HOMESTEAD  RANCH 

see.  Watcliing  the  faint  trail  fixedly,  leaning  forward 
and  urging  the  team  on,  she  wound  in  and  out  among 
the  rocks,  until  gradually  they  became  more  scattered, 
and  lost  their  fantastic  shapes. 

When  at  last  Harry  saw  the  open  road,  she  felt  that 
the  worst  was  behind  her ;  but,  nevertheless,  she  pulled 
up  and  looked  slowly  about.  She  was  not  sure  in  which 
direction  she  ought  to  turn,  and  she  dreaded  the  thought 
of  going  down  the  canon  alone  in  the  dark.  'Thello 
pricked  up  his  ears,  stared  ahead,  and  growled. 

^What  is  it,  boy  ?"  Harry  asked  eagerly.  "Run  him 
out !"  But  the  dog,  growling  softly,  merely  continued 
to  listen. 

With  a  sudden  sharpening  of  her  senses,  Harry  peered 
into  the  dusk.  Perhaps  some  one  who  could  help  her 
was  passing  near  by.  She  listened  intently,  with  every 
nerve  alert. 

Suddenly  she  stood  up  in  the  wagon  and  screamed: 

"Help!     Help!     Help!" 

A  clamor  of  echoes  answered  her  ringing  cries,  and 
'Thello  challenged  them  furiously.  The  girl  stood  si- 
lent. As  her  voice  struck  back  mockingly  at  her  from 
barren  butte  and  rock,  she  realized  that  she  was  help- 
less, and  lonely,  and  afraid.  Drawing  a  deep  breath, 
she  shut  her  hands  tight.  She  would  not  give  up  to 
fear!  Steadying  her  voice,  she  put  all  her  strength 
into  -one  more  call : 

'TEelp!" 

"Coming!"     A  man's  voice  answered  her. 

The  shout  echoed  her  cry,  a  rattle  of  hoofs  swept 

79 


HOMESTEAD  EANCH 

suddenly  near,  and  Harry  saw  a  horseman  appear  over 
the  ridge.  His  figure  rose  and  fell  in  silhouette  as  he 
galloped  toward  her.  "It's  Gamettl"  Harry  thought 
joyfully. 

"Hello,  what's  doing?"  he  asked,  as  he  pulled  up. 
"Any  one  hurt?     Who  is  it?" 

"It's  Harriet  Holliday.  I'm  lost.  I  got  over  into 
those  queer  rocks  and  couldn't  get  out." 

Gamett  caught  the  quaver  in  her  laugh.  "Lucky  I 
was  riding  through  this  way,"  he  said.  "That  was  the 
city  of  rocks  you  were  in.  How  did  you  get  out? 
Even  fellows  that  know  the  country  have  got  balled  up 
in  there  and  come  pretty  ne^r  cashing  in  before  they 
struck  the  trail  again." 

Harry  shivered.  "I  just  made  up  my  mind  I  had 
to  get  out,  and  kept  my  ejm  on  the  wheel  tracks  until 
I  found  the  open  road  again." 

"You've  got  grit  and  sense,  and  you  did  well.  Where 
are  you  heading  for  up  here  alone  ?" 

"Hailey." 

"Hailey!  This  time  of  night?"  He  dismounted 
and  tied  his  horse  to  the  back  of  the  wagon;  then  he 
got  into  the  seat  beside  her,  took  up  the  reins,  and 
whistled  to  the  team. 

"Oh,  will  you  really  drive  me?"  Harry  sighed  in 
relief.  Every  tired  muscle,  every  trembling  nerve  re- 
laxed, and  she  leaned  wearily  back  against  the  wagon 
seAt. 

"I  started  this  morning,"  she  explained.  "I  took 
the  wrong  turn  somewhere.     But  this  is  the  first  time 

80 


HOMESTEAD  RANCH 

IVe  been  out  this  way,  and  so  it  was  easy  to  get  lost." 

"The  first  time!     And  you^re  alone!" 

"Yes,  my  brother's  in  Hailey.  That's  why  I'm  go- 
ing. He's  in  trouble.  I  don't  know  just  what,  but 
he  sent  for  me  to  come." 

Gamett  nfade  no  answer,  and  they  were  both  silent 
for  some  moments,  while  the  team  jogged  on.  Harry 
was  wondering  whether  she  ought  to  tell  Garnett  that 
Rob  was  in  jail,  when  his  voice  made  her  start  guiltily: 

"Your  brother  been  gone  long  ?" 

"Long?  "No;  let's  see.  He  started  out  after  the 
cow — ^You  didn't  hear  of  her,  did  you?" 

"Maybe  it  was  yours  some  one  was  telling  me  about." 

"I  wonder  whether  it  was  ours  ?  Perhaps  Rob  tried 
to  take  it  and  got  into  a  squabble.  And  yet  that  isn't 
a  bit  like  him." 

"Was  he  afoot  ?"  Gamett  asked  suddenly. 

"Oh,  no.  On  horseback.  But  it  was  a  strange 
horse."     She  stopped. 

"One  of  those  you  were  telling  me  he  was  keeping  ?" 

"Yes."  In  spite  of  herself  her  voice  became  self- 
conscious. 

'Well,  maybe  some  one  thought  it  was  his." 

"Thought  what?" 

"Maybe  that  horse  your  brother  Was  riding  belonged 
to  another  fellow,  and  the  other  fellow  pinched  him 
for  stealing  it." 

"What  nonsense!"     She  laughed  faintly. 

'^t's  not  nonsense  to  the  fellow  that  thinks  his  critter 
was  stolen,"  he  replied. 

81 


HOMESTEAD  EANCH 

"Of  course  not.  I  don't  mean  that,  I  mean  the 
idea  that  my  brother  would  steal  a  horse.  You  don't 
for  a  moment  think  he  would,  do  you  f' 

"I  don't  pass  judgment  on  people  I  don't  know 
right  well." 

"But  you  know  what  sort  of  people  we  are.  Do  you 
think  I  would  steal?" 

"Maybe  not." 

Harry  gasped.     "You  might  as  well  say  yes." 

"If  I  saw  you  riding  one  of  my  horses,  say,  and  I'd 
lost  one,  and  you  couldn't  tell  me  where  you'd  got  it, 
and  wouldn't  give  it  up,  perhaps  I'd  think  you  stole  it. 
Perhaps  I'd  run  you  into  the  jug  until  you  could  tell 
where  you  got  it." 

"And  that's  what  you  think  has  happened  to  Rob?" 

"M-h'm!"  he  assented. 

"What?"  Harry's  voice  rang.  She  drew  herself 
erect,  and  in  the  luminous  darkness  of  the  summer  night 
the  two  in  the  s€5at  of  the  jolting  wagon  stared  at  each 
other. 

"Tell  me,"  she  demanded  sharply,  "tell  me  what  you 
know — ^what  you  think !"  And  still  staring  at  him,  she 
waited  for  his  reply. 

"I  know  that  your  brother  was  riding  my  hoi^e.  I 
saw  him  on  it." 


CHAPTER  VII 

For  a  minnte  they  jogged  on  in  silence.  Then,  in  a 
voice  that  was  clear  with  scorn,  Harry  said: 

"So  you  sent  my  brother  to  jail  just  for  riding  your 
miserable  old  horse!" 

But  although  her  voice  was  cold  and  hard,  there  was 
a  note  of  fatigue  and  distress  in  it  that  Gamett  was 
quick  to  understand.  He  flushed  hotly,  and  a  wave  of 
sympathy  for  the  girl  swept  over  him.  Those  few  indig- 
nant words  of  hers  made  him  certain  that  she  knew  no 
more  who  the  real  horse  thief  was  than  he  did  himself. 
She  was  just  what  she  had  appeared  that  first  time  in 
the  train — a  sweet,  gay,  warm-hearted  little  girl,  amus- 
ingly ignorant  of  everything  Western ! 

"I  reckon  you  think  hanging's  too  good  for  me,"  he 
said.  Harry  did  not  answer,  and  in  a  moment  he  went 
on.  "It's  like  this.  My  job  is  up  in  the  reserve — 
keeping  tabs  on  everything  that  goes  on  up  there  in 
the  timber,  where  the  sheep  and  cattle  men  take  their 
herds  in  summer.  You  can  see  I  wouldn't  keep  my 
job  long  if  I  was  to  believe  everything  fellows  tell  me 
about  how  honorable  and  noble-minded  they  are.  <I'ni 
deputy  sheriff,  too  — have  to  be  in  case  of  trouble,  we're 
so  far  from  town.  I  was  running  down  one  of  those 
Bascoes  when  that  pony  of  mine  disappeared.     I  traced 

83 


HOMESTEAD  KANCH 

it  out  to  the  Boise  base  line, — ^this  road  we're  on  now — 
when  I  met  a  fellow  that  saw  him  traveling  this  way 
in  a  string  of  colts.  I  was  on  his  trail  when  I  struck 
your  place.  You  see,  I  was  kind  of  suspicious  about 
that  'boarding'  yam,  and  yet  I  didn't  see,  honestly,  how 
you  could  frame  up  a  tale  like  that  yourself." 

"Why  didn't  you  come  back  the  next  day  and  ask 
my  brother  about  your  horse?" 

"That's  what  I  meant  to  do;  but  I  got  word  to  go 
back  to  the  reserve  quick.  The  sheep  were  coming  in, 
and  I  didn't  have  another  chance  to  get  down  here  until 
the  day  I  met  your  brother  hunting  his  cow.  He  had 
my  horse,  and  I  thought  the  best  thing  to  do  was  to  give 
him  a  chance  to  explain  to  Judge  Raeburn.  That's  the 
way  of  it." 

There  was  a  long,  strained  silence.  Gamett  had 
never  been  so  uncomfortable  and  unhappy  in  his  life. 
Here  he  was,  showing  himself  in  the  worst  possible  light 
to  the  nicest  girl  he  had  ever  met. 

The  road,  which  was  cut  out  of  the  side  of  the  cliff, 
was  steep  and  barely  wide  enough  for  the  team.  On 
one  sider  was  the  frowning  mountain  wall,  on  the  other 
the  black  abyss.  Harry  felt  the  horror  of  it ;  but  when 
she  looked  up  into  the  clear,  serene  sky  she  forgot  her 
fear.  She  felt  round  her  the'  splendor  and  immensity 
of  the  night  and  the  wilderness,  and  her  annoyances, 
her  troubles  and  worries,  slowly  faded  away.  A  de- 
lightful sense  of  rest  came  upon  her.  She  realized  how 
much  she  owed  to  Garnett  for  coming  to  her  aid  as  he 

84 


HOMESTEAD  RA^CH 

had  done,  and  she  was  trying  to  think  of  something 
friendly  to  say  to  him,  when  he  spoke. 

"I  hope  you  ain't  a-cussing  me  still?"  he  said  with 
gruff  earnestness.     "I'm  sorry." 

"No,  indeed,"  Harry  answered  quickly.  "You 
couldn't  help  it.  But  I  wish  Rob  had  never  gone  in 
with  that  fellow  Jones — ^the'  one  he^s  boarding  the  horses 
for.  Sometimes  I  almost  hate  Jones.  He's  taken  Rob 
away  from  me.  I  meant  to  have  such  a  good  time  out 
here,  but  one  thing  after  another  has  gone  wrong.  Part 
of  it  was  my  fault,  I  know." 

And  she  told  him  the  whole  story  of  the  affair  with 
the  sheep  herder,  how  she  had  insisted  upon  keeping 
'Thello  and  had  refused  to  file  on  the  homestead,  of  the 
herder's  attacking  Rob,  and  of  the  mysterious  disap- 
pearance of  the  colts,  and  Rob's  pony,  and  the  cow. 

"And  if  I'd  done  as  Bobs  wanted  me  to,  all  these 
troubles  would  never  have  happened." 

"Oh,  now,  you  mustn't  talk  that  way.  Nobody  lives 
that  ain't  meeting  up  with  something  all  along  the  trail. 
Might  be  you'll  get  you  a  homestead  somewhere  that 
you'll  like  a  whole  heap  better  than  the  one  you  lost." 

"It  isn't  that.  It's  because  Rob  wanted  us  to  have 
thenl  together.  The  sheep  couldn't  have  come  in  then ; 
and  now,  since  Joyce  has  filed  on  that  placer,  his  sheep 
will  eat  out  all  the  grass  and  ruin  the  grazing  for  our 
cattle.     So  you  see  it  is  all  my  fault." 

"I  wouldn't  say  that,  now.  I  might  say  it  was  mine, 
because  I  hadn't  any  business  to  lose  my  horse;  but  I 

8'5 


HOMESTEAD  RANCH 

ain't  saying  it.  Things  liappen,  that's  all.  And  it's 
as  likely  to  turn  and  happen  right  for  you  as  it  did  the 
other  way.  "We  ain't  ready  to  call  this  joh  off  yet. 
Looks  now  as  if  your  brother  wasn't  a  horse  thief,  after 
all ;  and  as  he  ain't,  it  looks  up  to  me  to  get  him  out  of 
the  jug." 

"I  wish,  when  you  have  got  him  out,  that  you  would 
put  that  sheep  herder  in.  Running  the  horses  off! 
As  if  he  hadn't  already  done  enough  in  beating  Rob 
the  way  he  did !  I'd  like  to  show  that  old  Joyce,  too, 
that  he  can't  have  all  the  grass,  even  if  his  herder  has 
filed  on  the  homestead  next  to  ours." 

"I  reckon  there  wouldn't  be  much  trouble  running 
in  the  herder.  The  law's  got  a  plain  case  against  him 
— assault  and  trespass ;  but  it's  Joyce  that  ought  to  get 
jugged  first." 

"Joyce!" 

"Sure.  He's  got  fifty  more  homesteads  than  he  has 
any  right  to%" 

"Yes,  that's  what  Dan  Brannan  told  us,"  Harry  said 
slowly.  "But  no  one  can  prove  anything  against  him, 
and  you  could  make  his  herder  have  some  regard  for 
our  rights." 

"I'll  do  that,  anyhow.  I'll  hunt  him  out  as  soon  as 
I  get  back  to  the  range.  What  sort  of  a  looking  fellow 
is  he?" 

"Big  and  heavy-looking,  yet  rather  handsome,  in  a 
way.     Looks  like  a  spoilt,  sulky  child. 

"Not  a  Mex?" 

86 


HOMESTEAD  RANCH 

"Oh,  no.  That's  what  makes  it  seem  so  much 
worse/' 

"Name  Hunter?" 

"No,  Boj^kin." 

"Boykin?  Are  you  dead  certain?  There's  one  of 
Joyce's  herder's  that's  this  fellow's  twin  brother,  if  he 
ain't  closer  still — the  meanest  man  that  ever  followed 
a  bunch  of  woollies — but  his  name's  Hunter.  I've  got 
him  in  the  jug  right  now,  too." 

"Oh,  if  it  only  were  Boy  kin !" 

"I'll  look  him  up,"  Garnett  said.  He  was  silent  for 
a  moment,  and  then  he  exclaimed: 

"Say,  I  want  you  or  your  brother  to  take  a  look  at 
that  fellow  Hunter  to-morrow !  It's  got  into  my  head 
that  he  and  your  man  Boykin  favor  each  other  a  whole 
lot  more  than  they'd  ought  to." 

"I  don't  see  that  it  makes  any  difference  how  much 
alike  they  look,"  Harry  said. 

Garnett  chuckled.  "It  might  make  a  whole  lot  of 
difference  to  you." 

"How?" 

He  was  silent  a  moment.  "If  you'll  excuse  me 
ma'am,  I  reckon  I'd  better  not  say  too  much  until 
you've  had  a  peek  at  Hunter." 

Harry  did  not  urge  him  to  explain,  and  when  they 
began  to  talk  again  it  was  of  other  things.  Harry  told 
Garnett  about  her  life  back  East,  and  about  her  com- 
radeship with  Rob  in  the  old  days:  she  told  him,  too, 
how  disappointed  Rob  was  because  she  did  not  like  the 

87 


HOMESTEAD  EANCH 

West  as  he  had  hoped  she  would.  She  admitted  that 
she  had  not  tried  very  hard  to  like  it. 

As  they  drove  on  through  the  darkness  they  chatted 
freely,  and  exchanged  the  simple  confidences  that  lay 
the  foundation  for  a  true  friendship. 

At  last  they  left  the  canon  and  rumbled  over  the  hard, 
smooth  road  toward  town.  Little  by  little  the  lights 
of  Hailey  grew  brighter,  and  at  last  the  wagon  drove 
under  the  big  blue  arc  light  on  the  edge  of  the  town. 
It  was  Saturday  night,  and  all  the  stores  were  open; 
the  streets  were  crowded  with  people. 

Garnett  proposed  that  they  should  go  first  to  the  hotel 
and  have  some  supper ;  but  Harry  was  almost  nervously 
eager  to  give  Kob  the  paper  she  had  brought  to  him, 
and  so  Garnett  acquiesced. 

"I  reckon  I^d  better  go  along,"  he  said.  "It's  after 
hours  for  visitors,  but  as  deputy  sheriff  I  can  ^x  it  up. 
And  I'd  like  to  see  your  brother  myself.  If  he'll  give 
me  the  straight  story  of  this  affair,  I  reckon  I  can 
straighten  things  out  pretty  quick." 

Harry's  heart  beat  unevenly  as  she  followed  Garnett 
up  the  steps  of  the  jail  and  into  the  office.  The  dreary 
room,  lighted  by  the  glaring  electric  light,  meant  some- 
thing indescribably  mean  and  -shameful  to  her.  Her 
heart  sank  as  she  waited  for  Garnett  to  attend  to  certain 
necessary  formalities.  When  Pedersen,  the  big  Swede 
jailer,  stared  at  her  in  smiling,  stupid  curiosity,  she 
was  thankful  for  the  protection  of  Garnett's  presence. 

Garnett  let  Harry  go  to  her  brother's  cell  alone.  As 
the  door  clicked,  the  light  flashed  up  and  flooded  the 

88 


HOMESTEAD  EANCH 

narrow,  whitewashed  room.     Rob  turned  from  the  win- 
dow where  he  had  been  standing. 

"Hello,  sis!"  he  said  listlessly.     "Just  get  in?" 

"Bobs,  dear  I  You  poor  thing !  Isn't  this  horrible  ?" 
She  ran  to  him,  slid  her  hand  through  his  arm  and 
kissed  him. 

"You  look  as  if  you  had  been  ill!"  she  exclaimed, 
looking  up  at  him  anxiously. 

"I  do  feel  seedy."     He  passed  a  hand  over  his  un- 
shaven cheek  and  glanced  down  at  his  rumpled  clothes. 
"Being  shut  up  here  without  a  change  of  clothes  for 
several  days  is  the  limit.     Did  you  bring  that  bill  of 
sale?" 

'TTes,  here  it  is."  She  handed  him  the  paper.  Rob 
glanced  at  it,  and  then  put  it  into  his  pocket.  "If  I'd 
only  had  that  along  the  other  day  when  that  chump 
pinched  me !  Smarty !  I'd  like  to  have  him  fined  for 
false  arrest — ^putting  me  in  here !" 

"Why,  Bobs!  He  didn't  know  you  were  all  right. 
He'd  never  seen  you  before.  He  had  to  do  it ;  but  he's 
awfully  sorry." 

"He  is  ?    How  do  you  know  ?" 

"He  told  me  so.  He  drove  me  over  here.  If  it 
hadn't  been  for  him,  I'd  probably  be  wandering  round 
in  the  hills  or  lying  at  the  bottom  of  that  awful  canon 
on  the  edge  of  the  road."  She  went  on  to  tell  him  about 
her  journey  and  her  talk  with  Garnett.  ^^e's  outside 
now,  Bob,"  she  said,  a  little  timidly,  for  Rob's  face  had 
darkened.  "He  wants  to  see  you  and  have  you  tell  him 
who  Jones  is  and  where  he  got  those  horses." 

89 


HOMEStEAD  EAITCH 

'T.  don't  want  to  see  him.  And  IVe  nothing  to  say 
about  Jones." 

"But,  Bobs,  if  you  don't  tell  how  Jones  came  to  have 
Gamett's  horse,  they'll  simply  hunt  up  Jones  and  make 
him  tell.  Won't  you  see  Garnett?  I've  already  con- 
vinced him  that  you  were  only  boarding  the  colts  for 
Jones,  and  Garnett's  really  our  friend  now,  only  of 
course  he  wants  to  clear  this  matter  up.  I  wish,  you'd 
talk  frankly  with  him,  Rob,  dear." 

"I  like  that !  Maybe  he's  forgotten  I  tried  to  explain 
things  the  day  he  ran  me  in." 

'^But  you  didn't  tell  him  where  Jones  got  his  horse. 
He's  going  out  to-morrow  to  hunt  up  Jones  and  bring 
him  here  to  prove  that  those  horses  are  his." 

'^ut  they're  not.     They're  mine." 

"Yours !"     Harry  cried,  falling  back  a  step. 

"That's  what  this  bill  of  sale  is.  I  bought  every  one 
of  those  colts  from  Jones." 

"But,  Rob,  where  did  Jones  get  Garnett's  horse? 
He  never  sold  it." 

'T)on't  ask  me.  There  comes  Pedersen.  You'll 
have  to  go  now." 

"And  you  won't  see  Garnett?  Please,  Rob!  He's 
really  our  friend.  Oh,  yes,  and  another  thing.  I  was 
telling  him  about  that  herder,  Boykin,  and  he  says  my 
description  of  him  exactly  fits  a  herder  of  Joyce's  named 
Hunter,  who  is  in  jail  here.  I  think  Garnett  suspects 
that  they  are  the  same  man,  and  he  seems  to  think  it  may 
make  a  lot  of  difference  to  us.  I  don't  quite  see  how, 
do  you?" 

90 


HOMESTEAD  EAl^OH 

Rob's  expression  changed.  "It  would  make  a  lot  of 
difference  to  me  to  know  that  Boykin  was  in  the  jug." 

"Oh,  it  was  some  bigger  difference  than  that.  He 
didn't  want  to  tell  me  about  it  until  he  was  sure,  but 
maybe  he  would  tell  you." 

Eob  laughed.  "Aren't  you  ingenious,  miss?  Not 
till  morning,  anyway.  Maybe  I'll  talk  to  him  then, 
unless  Raebum  gets  home  first.  If  I  can  only  see  the 
judge  for  ^ve  minutes,  he'll  probably  dismiss  the  ease 
against  me  without  another  word." 

Gamett  looked  up  eagerly  when  Harry  entered  the 
office.     "He  didn't  want  to  see  me  ?"  he  asked. 

"He  will  in  the  morning."  She  blushed  faintly,  but 
still  faced  him  with  frank  eyes. 

"Well,  let's  go.  You're  all  in.  It's  nearly  midnight, 
do  you  know  it  ?  And  you  haven't  had  a  square  meal 
all  day." 

"I'm  not  a  bit  hungry,  but  I  am  sleepy,  most  horribly 
sleepy." 

She  yawned  and  laughed  at  the  same  time. 

As  they  went  out  into  the  street,  Harry  drew  a  deep 
jbreath  and  lifted  her  face.  How  sweet  the  fresh  air 
was!  And  to  think  of  Rob's  being  shut  up  in  that 
horrible  prison ! 

"I'm  sorry  for  all  the  trouble  I've  caused  you,"  said 
Gamett,  when  they  stopped  at  the  foot  of  the  hotel  steps. 
"But  I  won't  leave  +iiis  game  until  it's  played  through." 

He  held  out  his  hand  to  her,  raised  his  hat  and  looked 
at  her ;  in  his  steady  blue  eyes  was  an  expression  of  sin- 
cere friendliness  that  put  courage  into  Harry's  heart 

91' 


HOMESTEAD  RAISTCH 

The  confidence  which  that  assurance  of  good  will  in- 
spired in  her  sent  Harry  to  a  dreamless  sleep. 

"When  she  came  down  to  breakfast  the  next  morning, 
the  hotel  clerk  handed  her  a  note. 

Miss  HoUiday^, 

Dear  Fbiend^  Am  sorry  not  to  drive  you  across  the 
prairie  to-day,  but  have  gone  to  hunt  up  that  Jones. 
Saw  your  brother  early,  and  gave  him  a  look  at  Hunter. 
He  says  it's  the  same  herder  that  beat  him  up.  Your 
brother  ain't  talking  about  Jones,but  I'll  camp  on  his 
trail  until  I  find  him,  or  what  was  him,  and  fetch  him 
along  back  to  straighten  this  business  out.       Resp. 

Cheistophee  Gaenbtt. 

The  letter  was  like  the  warm  handclasp  he  had  given 
her  last  night.  She  hurried  off  to  see  Rob,  hoping  that 
now  he  would  feel  differently  toward  Gamett. 

But  Rob  returned  her  cheery  greeting  without  much 
enthusiasm.  "Gamett's  all  right,"  he  said,  in  answer 
to  her  eager  question.  "He  admits  he  thinks  I  didn't 
steal  his  horse,  but  some  one  did,  and  Jones  looks  like  a 
good  one  to  put  it  on.  I  promised  to  keep  Jones's 
affairs  quiet  until  he  gets  ready  to  talk  himself.  If 
Gamett  finds  him,  he  may  get  what  he  can  from  him ; 
that's  no  affair  of  mine.  When  I  see  Judge  Raeburn, 
he'll  put  the  whole  business  straight  in  five  minutes." 

"Well."  Harry's  voice  was  colorless,  and  she  stared 
past  Rob  at  the  window.  Then,  with  a  quick  change  of 
manner,  she  turned  to  him.     "In  his  note  Gamett  said 

92 


HOMESTEAD  KANCH 

that  Boykin  is  Hunter.     What  will  that  mean,  Eob  ?" 

Rob's  face  lighted  up.  ^^If  we  can  prove  that  he  is, 
we  can  contest  his  filing  on  that  land." 

"O  Rob !  How  perfectly  splendid  I  But  how  soon 
can  we  find  out  ?" 

"When  court  opens.  As  soon  as  Boykin  comes  up 
for  trial,  Gamett  will  appear  as  a  witness  against  him 
in  this  case  of  assault  that  he  arrested  him  for." 

"He  attacked  another  man  V 

"Yes,  he  got  into  a  fight  up  on  the  way  to  the  reserve; 
ran  his  sheep  under  the  fence  onto  Rudy  Batt's  land, 
and  when  Rudy  set  his  dogs  on  the  sheep,  Boykin,  or 
Hunter,  leaped  on  him  with  a  stick,  just  as  he  did  on 
me,  and  beat  him  up." 

"Mercy!  What  a  murderous  creature!  I'm  glad 
some  one  arrested  him  at  last." 

"Yes,  that's  another  thing  I  want  to  stay  over  here 
for:  to  appear  against  him  in  court.  He  mav  get  six 
months  in  the  pen." 

"I  hope  he  will.  I  wonder  what  he  changed  his  name 
for  ?     What  a  funny  thing  to  do !" 

"That's  not  so  uncommon.  A  man  often  skips  the 
coimtry  and  changes  his  name  when  he's  done  something 
and  is  afraid  of  the  law.  Gamett  says  that  Himter  was 
herding  cattle  for  the  same  outfit  he  was  with,  and  that 
he  was  always  quarreling  with  some  one.  Then  one 
night  he  pulled  a  gun  on  one  of  the  boys,  and  lit  out 
without  waiting  to  see  whether  he'd  killed  him  or  not." 

"Had  he  killed  him?" 

**]Nro,  lucky  for  him.     But  you  see  he  had  filed  on  a 

93 


HOMESTEAD  KANCH 

Homestead  out  there,  and  so  he's  got  no  right  to  this  one." 

"Then  we  can  surely  get  it." 

^^ot  so  sure.  As  soon  as  Joyce  sees  what's  going  to 
happen,  he  may  jump  in  and  put  another  man  on  there." 

"O  Bob !     Could  he  ?    Would  it  be  possible  ?" 

"Why  not  ?  If  he's  slick  enough  to  have  done  it  so 
often,  it  won't  bother  him  to  do  it  once  more.  But 
there's  time  enough  to  think  about  that  later.  You 
must  hit  for  home  now,  if  you're  to  make  it  before  dark. 
Let's  see,     Yoirneed  groceries,  don't  you?" 

"Yes.     I  forgot  that  to-day  was  Sunday." 

"Well,  see  here.  Go  to  the  hotel  and  ask  the  clerk, 
Dougherty,  to  telephone  down  to  his  brother  at  the  mer- 
cantile company  store.  Jack  Dougherty  is  bookkeeper 
there,  and  he's  usually  down  at  the  store  early  Sunday 
morning ;  he'll  let  you  in  to  get  what  you  want.  When 
you  get  home,  better  round  up  the  heifers  every  night  to 
be  sure  they're  all  there.  I  may  hear  of  the  cow  over 
this  way." 

Before  Eob's  calm,  matter-of-fact  attitude  Harry's 
reluctance  at  going  back  to  the  ranch  alone  appeared 
childish.  So  she  said  good-by  cheerily  and  started 
out. 

The  sun  was  high  and  the  morning  breeze  dead 
when  at  last  she  left  the  poplar-shaded  streets  of  the 
old  mining  town  and  struck  the  long  road  up  the  canon 
to  the  top  of  the  divide.  She  met  only  one  person  on 
the  road,  and  that  was  Joyce.  He  was  driving  his 
motor  car  toward  Hailey.  When  he  came  in  sight 
the  team  began  to  prance  nervously.     Joyce  got  out 

94 


HOMESTEAD  KANCH 

and  came  np  to  them.  He  looked  curiously  at  Harry, 
but  did  not  recognize  her  until  she  spoke  to  thank  him 
for  quieting  the  horses. 

"Say!"  he  exclaimed.  "Ain't  you  the  lady  from 
Connecticut  ?  Sure.  What  you  doin'  out  here  alone  ? 
Where's  your  brother  at  V 

"He  had  to  stay  in  Hailey  on  business,"  she  an- 
swered, smiling  a  little.  Soon  enough  Joyce  would 
know  what  the  business  was. 


CHAPTEK  VIII 

Harry  did  not  come  into  view  of  the  Robinson 
ranch  until  nine  o'clock.  It  had  been  a  long,  hard 
drive  from  Hailey,  and  three  miles  yet  lay  between  her 
and  the  homestead.  [Fortunately,  it  was  not  quite 
dark.  Behind  the  mountains  the  after-glow  still 
burned,  dull  orange  and  rose,  and  the  tops  of  the  buttes 
reflected  a  pale  saffron  gleam.  But  dark  shadows  filled 
the  canons,  and  objects  near  by  had  an  odd  trick  of  dis- 
appearing in  the  darkness  just  as  Harry  looked  at  them. 

The  ranch  house  lay  dark  and  silent.  Thinking  that 
the  family  had  gone  to  bed,  Harry  was  going  on  without 
stopping.  She  was  really  too  tired  to  stop  and  talk. 
As  she  came  nearer,  however,  she  saw  a  light  in  the 
kitchen ;  then  the  door  opened  and  some  one  came  down 
the  path  toward  the  gate. 

^'Hello  there!"  Robinson  called.  "That  you, 
HoUiday  ?     Don't  get  down ;  I'll  open  the  gate." 

"It's  I,  Harry  1"  the  girl  answered.  "I  won't  come 
in,  thank  you.  But  please  tell  Jimmy  that  he  needn't 
ride  over  in  the  morning;  I'll  take  care  of  the  animals 
now." 

"Say,  you  ain't  alone,  are  you?  Where's  Rob  at? 
Anything  happened  to  him?"  Robinson  had  swung 
back  the  gate  and  was  peering  at  the  girl  perched  on  the 
wagon  seat.     "Vashti  told  us  something  was  wrong." 

96 


HOMESTEAD  RANCH 

"Yes.  There's  been  some  trouble  over  a  horse  'Rch 
was  boarding  for  a  man,  and  he  had  to  stay  in  Hailey." 
She  broke  off.  How  could  she  go  into  the  story  here, 
at  this  time  of  night  ? 

"A  boss,  eh  ?  Well,  them  things  do  take  quite  some 
time  to  straighten  up.  But  you  can  stop  here  with  U3 
until  he  gets  home." 

"Oh,  thank  you !  Eeally,  though,  I  guess  I'd  better 
go  on.     It's  so  late,  and " 

"Sure  thing.  Too  late  for  you  to  be  chasin'  back 
there  alone  to-night,  ain't  it,  ma  ?" 

"That's  what."  Mrs.  Eobinson,  with  her  arms 
wrapped  in  her  apron,  had  joined  them,  and  stood 
listening  while  Harry  told  again  what  had  happened 
to  Rob.  As  the  girl  gazed  down  through  the  clear 
darkness  the  scent  of  the  wild  bean  floated  down  to  her 
from  the  hillsides.  The  hurrying  patter  of  water  in 
the  irrigation  ditches  soothed  her  tired  brain  with  the 
magic  of  a  spell;  her  head  nodded  and  her  words  be- 
came indistinct. 

"Say,  Johnny,  she's  droppin'  in  her  tracks,  she's  so 
tired!"  cried  Mrs.  Robinson.  "Take  them  lines  and 
hand  her  down  'fore  she  takes  a  header  into  the  ditch." 

Mrs.  Robinson  spoke  in  a  tone  of  command,  and 
"Johnny"  obeyed.  Yielding  the  lines  with  honest  re- 
lief that  she  need  go  no  farther  that  night,  Harry 
climbed  down  and  walked  stiffly  to  the  kitchen  with  her 
hostess. 

The  big,  half-furnished  room  was  neat  and  orderly 
from  Saturday's  acrubbing.     Vashti,  in  her  Sunday 

97 


HOMESTEAD  EANCH 

Btarched  lawn  frock  and  new  scarlet  hair  ribbons, 
smiled  bashfully.  Mrs.  Kobinson,  too,  with  "rats"  in 
her  hair  and  wearing  a  new  purple  gingham  dress, 
seemed  ten  years  younger.  As  she  pulled  forward  a 
chair,  Harry  noticed  that  her  right  hand  was  swathed 
in  a  bandage. 

"Yes,  I  burnt  me,  like  a  stupid,"  Mrs.  Robinson  ex- 
plained. "Everything  gets  in  a  mill  at  once,  seems 
like,  and  I  burnt  up  a  cake  and  busted  a  plate  and  put 
my  hand  out  of  business  all  at  once.  I  got  kind  of  be- 
hind Sat' day,  havin'  them  extry  hands  to  feed — ^we've 
got  three  here  irrigatin'  the  alf alfy.  We  alius  feed  'em 
good ;  it  gives  you  a  name  outside,  and  you  get  the  pick 
of  hands  when  the  rush  of  work  brings  'em  into  the 
valley.  Now,  here's  your  tea  warm ;  come  and  have  a 
snack.  It  ain't  much,  but  it'll  hold  you  till  morning, 
anyhow." 

While  she  was  talking,  Mrs.  Robinson  had  been  set- 
ting out  dishes  at  one  end  of  the  table.  Harry  sat 
down  before  a  bewildering  array  of  pickles,  jelly,  jam, 
cold  meat,  and  hot  fried  "side  meat,"  cake,  pie,  and 
some  warmed-over  vegetables  from  supper.  If  this 
was  a  "snack,"  Harry  wondered  what  a  "square  meal" 
was.  She  was  hungry  from  her  day  in  the  open  air; 
but  more  compelling  than  her  need  of  food  was  her 
need  of  sleep.  Even  while  she  drank  her  tea  and 
tried  to  tell  of  her  experiences  on  the  trip  to  Hailey,  her 
eyelids  sank  leadenly.  Presently,  in  the  middle  of  a 
sentence,  she  saw  Mrs.  Robinson  smiling. 

"You  poor  young  one !     You're  that  sleepy  you  don't 

98 


HOMESTEAD  RA:t^CH 

know  what  you're  sayin'.  Vashti,  run  get  some  sheets 
and  comfortables  and  we'll  make  up  the  davenport  in 
the  front  room." 

"It's  good  of  you  to  keep  me  overnight  when  I  know 
you  have  a  houseful  already,"  said  Harry. 

"Don't  you  worry.  Nobody  but  comp'ny  ever  sleeps 
in  the  front  room." 

Mrs.  Eobinson  led  the  way  proudly  into  the  room. 
Exhausted  as  Harry  was,  she  knew  what  was  expected 
of  her,  and  managed  to  say  something  about  the  gor- 
geous carpet,  the  dazzling  wall  paper,  and  the  vivid 
table  cover. 

The  air  in  the  room  was  lifeless,  and  as  soon  as 
Harry  was  alone  she  carefully  drew  aside  the  lace  cur- 
tains and  opened  the  window  wide.  Then,  after  tak- 
ing a  long  breath  of  the  fragrant  night  air,  she 
undressed  and  dropped  into  bed.  For  a  second  she  was 
conscious  of  sweet  comfort;  she  gave  a  great  sigh  of 
content — and  knew  no  more  until  she  opened  her  eyes 
to  the  dawn  and  heard  the  clatter  of  stove  lids  in  the 
kitchen. 

"Well !  You  up  ?"  exclaimed  Mrs.  Robinson  in  sur- 
prise, when  Harry  walked  into  the  kitchen.  "You 
could  ha'  laid  another  hour  yet ;  breakfast  ain't  till  six." 

"I  hoped  you'd  let  me  help.  How  is  your  hand  this 
morning  ?" 

"It  hurts  still,  but  I  don't  know  what  more  I  can  do; 
it's  covered  good  with  flour  and  lard." 

"If  you  would  try  it,  I  have  some  salve  over  in  the 
tent.     It's  really  wonderful  stuff.     Mother  made  me 

99 


HOMESTEAD  EA^^CH 

bring  a  big  jar  of  it     111  bring  it  over  this  afternoon." 

"Land  sakes,  girlie,  go  all  that  distance  just  to  fetch 
me  some  salve?  Not  much!  There  ain't  no  need  of 
you  goin'  over  to  your  place  nohow.  Jimmy  can  easy 
ride  over  and  feed  until  your  brother  gets  back." 

But  Harry  was  firm.  She  not  only  thought  it  her 
duty  to  stay  on  the  homestead,  but  she  felt  a  sort  of 
pride  in  staying  there  alone.  Her  solitary  drive,  her 
adventure  in  the  city  of  rocks,  had  waked  a  new  spirit 
within  her,  and  that  spirit  was  struggling  to  express 
itseK.     She  was,  however,  quite  unconscious  of  that. 

"Please  let  me  cook  breakfast,"  she  said  suddenly. 
"I'm  sure  I  can  if  you'll  just  tell  me  how  you  have 
things.  I  can  fry  the  potatoes  and  make  good  coffee, 
anyhow." 

"Well,  I  Vlieve  I  will  let  you.  'Tain't  real  good 
manners  to  set  your  comp'ny  to  work,  but  you'll  excuse 
me  this  once,  I  guess.  I  couldn't  even  dress  the  baby 
this  morning — had  to  leave  that  to  Vashti.  Say," 
she  added,  "you  couldn't  stay  a  week  and  cook  for  me 
while  these  boys  are  here,  could  you  ?" 

Harry  grew  rather  pink  and  stammered  a  polite  re- 
fusal. 

"Well,''  said  Mrs.  Robinson,  "I  know  you  ain't  used 
to  this  kind  of  work,  but  any  one  can  see  you're  smart. 
You'd  get  the  hang  of  things  in  half  a  day." 

"I'd  stay  in  a  minute,"  Harry  assured  her,  "just  be- 
cause you  were  so  kind  to  us  when  Rob  got  hurt.  But 
you  know  how  it  is,  with  all  these  cattle  round,  and 
ours  just  new  to  the  place.     If  they  should  get  out,  they 

100 


HOMESTEAD  RANCH 

might  get  way  across  the  river  before  Rob  comes  home.'' 

"Yes,  that's  right.  And  you  two  have  got  to  work 
together  if  you're  goin'  to  make  anything  of  home- 
steadin'.  Pity  you  didn't  take  up  a  claim  of  your 
own  while  you  were  at  it.  A  girl  that's  got  a  hundred 
and  sixty  in  her  own  name  is  as  independent  as  any- 
one." 

"Yes,  I'm  sorry  I  didln't;  but  there's  plenty  to 
do,  even  on  Rob's  land." 

"Ain't  that  the  truth!  Just  wait  until  you  get 
a  crop  in,  though,  and  are  lookin'  for  harvest  hands — " 

"We  shan't  have  that  trouble  for  a  year  or  two,  any- 
how. Rob  expects  to  go  out  to  work,  haying  and  har- 
vesting for  other  people,  and  I  suppose  I  shall  stay 
at  home  and  look  after  things." 

"Say!  Why  couldn't  you  come  over  and  help  me 
at  haying  and  harvesting?  I'd  pay  you  five  a  week 
and  your  board,  and  it'd  keep  the  traces  stiff  here. 
Seems  like  the  wagon  is  alius  on  my  heels,  as  you 
might  say,  in  the  rush  season." 

"I'll  come  if  I  can,"  Harry  promised. 

She  turned  out  the  crisp,  brown  potatoes,  poured 
the  gravy  into  a  bowl,  and  set  the  coffee  back  while 
she  fried  the  eggs.  Mrs.  Robinson  went  out  to  pull 
the  bell  rope.  The  big  iron  bell  hanging  from  the 
gable  clanged  its  call,  and  a  shout  answered  from  the 
corral. 

While  Mrs.  Robinson  was  overseeing  the  morning 
ablutions  of  the  smaller  children,  who  had  come  tum- 
bling into  the  room  at  the  sound  of  the  bell,  Harry 

101 


HOMESTEAD  RANCH 

went  to  the  door  to  get  a  breath  of  fresh  air  after  t^e 
heat  and  smoke  of  the  kitchen. 

The  sun  was  just  rising  over  the  end  of  the  foothills, 
and  its  rays  shot  up  into  the  blue  sky  like  altar  flames ; 
its  red-gold  beams  made  the  trunks  of  the  quaking 
asps  up  the  canon  look  like  the  pillars  of  a  church. 
Unseen  among  the  leaves  a  robin  was  chanting,  rapt 
and  blissful  as  a  cloistered  saint.  That  solitary  voice 
of  joy  seemed  all  at  once  the  voice  of  the  morning — of 
the  desert  morning — monotonous,  yet  thrillingly  sig- 
nificant to  one  who  could  see  what  the  desert  might 
mean.  For  an  instant  the  girl's  spirit  flamed  up  in 
the  knowledge  of  things  yet  to  come.  Then  Mrs. 
Robinson  called  her,  and  she  heard  once  more'  in 
the  room  behind  her  the  homely  clatter  of  the  house- 
hold assembling  to  breakfast. 

"Them  men  folks  comin'f'  Mrs.  Kobinson  called. 
"It's  on  the  tap  of  six  now.'' 

As  she  looked  at  the  clock,  she  filled  the  oatmeal 
bowls  and  ordered  the  children  to  their  places  at  the 
table.  Mrs.  Robinson  prided  herself  on  serving  her 
meals  piping  hot,  without  keeping  the  men  waiting. 
While  the  men  were  coming  in,  the  ranchwoman 
quickly  filled  the  cups  from  the  big  blue  enamel  coffee- 
pot, and  set  platters  of  eggs,  plates  of  hot  biscuits, 
and  dishes  of  bacon  at  intervals  on  the  table.  Won- 
dering and  admiring,  Harry  watched  her. 

Mrs.  Robinson  motioned  the  girl  to  a  place  dis- 
tinguished by  a  clean  napkin,  and  at  the  same  time 
introduced  her  to  the  young  men. 

102 


HOMESTEAD  RANCH 

"Let  me  make  you  acquainted  with  Miss  Holliday; 
boys.  This  here's  Pete  Mosher,  and  Con  Gardner, 
and  Lance  Fitch — Miss  Harriet  Holliday.  She  and 
her  brother  have  homesteaded  just  east  of  here.'' 

The  young  men  bowed  and  murmured,  "Pleased 
to  meet  you,  ma'am." 

Mrs.  Robinson  herself  did  not  come  to  the  table,  but 
standing  near  by  with  her  hands  on  her  hips,  watched 
to  see  that  every  one  had  all  he  wanted.  Harry  felt 
she  had  learned  more  this  morning  about  how  to  do  a 
great  deal  rapidly  and  efficiently  than  a  month  of 
solitary  struggle  on  the  homestead  would  have  taught 
her.  It  made  her  feel  as  if  she  must  get  back  there  as 
soon  as  possible  and  "do  things." 

Mr.  Robinson  was  telling  the  men  about  Rob's 
trouble  with  the  sheep  herder;  all  of  them,  it  seemed, 
had  had  trouble  with  Joyce's  men. 

"Joyce  is  the  meanest  o£  all  the  sheepmen  who 
come  through  here,"  said  Lance  Fitch.  "Never  gives 
a  homesteader  a  bit  of  mutton,  and  grabs  every  blade 
of  grass  in  sight." 

"That's  how  he  got  so  rich,"  remarked  Pete  Mosher ; 
**by  hoggin'  the  pasture  and  stealin'  homesteads.  I 
bet  he's  never  hired  a  herder  that  he  didn't  make  at 
least  one  homestead  off  him." 

"Can't  something  be  done  to  stop  him?"  asked 
Harry.  "Couldn't  some  one  go  and  ask  him  for  a 
job  herding,  and  then,  when  Joyce  tried  to  get  him 
to  file  on  a  homestead,  have  him  arrested  and  pro^e 
him  guilty?" 

103 


HOMESTEAD  RANCH 

"Say,  you  catch  Joyce  and  we'll  send  you  to  the 
legislature/'  promised  Robinson,  with  a  laugh. 

Harry  stayed  long  enough  to  help  wash  the  dishes; 
then,  in  spite  of  the  family's  vigorous  remonstrances, 
she  drove  over  to  the  ranch.  The  heat  of  the  day 
came  on  before  she  reached  home,  and  she  was  glad  that 
she  had  started  early.  Although  there  was  not  a 
great  deal  for  her  to  do  on  the  homestead,  she  did  not 
finish  her  various  tasks  until  noon.  Hot  and  hungry, 
she  went  up  to  the  tent  to  get  herself  some  luncheon 
and  to  look  for  the  jar  of  salve.  She  had  just  started 
to  build  a  fire  when  she  heard  a  horse's  tread  outside, 
and  thinking  that  it  was  Rob,  flew  to  the  doorway. 
But  it  was  a  stranger  that  faced  her — a  big  man,  with 
keen,  friendly  eyes  and  a  low,  drawling  voice. 

"Robert  Holliday  live  here?"  he  asked. 

"Yes,"  Harry  answered,  "this  is  his  homestead,  but 
he's  not  here  now.  I'm  his  sister.  Is  there  any  mes- 
sage you  wish  to  leave?" 

"Pleased  to  meet  you;  Miss  Holliday.  I'm  the 
sheriff  of  Lincoln  County — ^Mason  is  my  name.  I've 
got  a  bunch  of  horses  down  in  Shoshone  that  I  under- 
stand Mr.  Holliday  can  tell  me  something  about.  Do 
you  know  when  he'll  be  home?" 

"JSTo,  I  don't.  To  tell  you  the  truth,  he's  over  in 
Hailey  now,  in  jail,  on  a  false  charge  of  having  stolen 
one  of  those  horses." 

"A  f  al-se  charge  ?"  The  sheriff  looked  at  her  searoh- 
ingly. 

"Yes."  Harry  colored  under  his  keen  inspection. 
104 


HOMESTEAD  RANCH 

"Chris  Gamett,  the  deputy  sheriff  for  this  county, 
found  my  brother  riding  a  horse  that  Gamett  claimed 
as  his.  As  Rob  refused  to  tell  him  where  he  got  it, 
Gamett  took  him  to  jail.  But  he  admits  now  that  he 
doesn't  think  Rob  stole  his  horse.  Rob  could  come 
home  if  he  wanted  to,  but  he's  waiting  over  there  to 
see  Judge  Raeburn  and  explain  the  whole  matter  to 
him." 

"H'm!  Well,  maybe  you  can  tell  me  where  your 
brother  got  that  horse." 

"No,  I  can't.  It  was  in  the  bunch  of  colts  that  a 
fellow  named  Jones  brought  in  here,  but  I  don't  know 
where  they  came  from." 

'What  were  they  doing  here?" 

"The  colts?  Why,  Jones  and  Rob  had  some  sort 
of  a  partnership  in  them.  They  broke  them  together, 
and  Jones  drove  them  out  and  sold  them,  I  guess, 
for  he  had  taken  more  than  half  of  them  when  he  dis- 
appeared about  a  week  ago.  We  haven't  any  idea 
where  he  went,  or  whether  he  came  up  and  took  the 
rest  of  the  horses  without  telling  Rob." 

"I  see.     And  Gamett?     Where's  he  at?" 

"Gone  to  find  Jones  and  see  what  he  can  get  out 
of  him." 

Mason  laughed.  'Well,  I'll  be  going  on.  You 
say  your  brother  is  staying  over  in  Hailey  to  talk  things 
over  with  Judge  Rael  urn  ?  Court  opens  in  Hailey 
to-day;  so  your  brother  ought  to  get  back  here  to- 
morrow. I'm  on  my  way  to  Soldier  and  I'll  stop 
over  here  on  my  way  back — in  a  couple  of  days  or  so." 

105 


HOMESTEAD  KANCH 

"I  wonder  if  you'll  do  me  a  favor?"  Harry  ex- 
claimed, as  Mason  turned  his  horse.  "Will  you  leave 
a  little  package  at  the  Kobinsons'  for  me?  It's  some 
salve  for  Mrs.  Eobinson's  hand." 

"Sure  I  will.  I  haven't  seen  the  family  for  quite 
some  time." 

"What  a  stupid  I  am!"  Harry  exclaimed,  as  she 
watched  the  man  ride  away  in  the  distance.  "I  didn't 
remember  to  ask  him  where  Jones  was,  or  where  he 
found  the  colts,  or  anything.  I  wonder  whether  any- 
thing can  be  wrong — whether  he  arrested  Jones?" 

She  turned  away.  A  swarm  of  new,  strange  fears 
had  suddenly  sprung  to  life  to  torment  her. 


CHAPTEE  IX 

Standing  in  the  door  of  the  tent,  Harry  stared  out 
over  the  desert  where  the  Sheriff  had  disappeared., 

"Dear  me !"  she  exclaimed.  "It  seems  that  out  here 
in  the  desert  you  have  to  know  more  and  think  quicker 
and  be  generally  all-around  smarter  to  be  good  for 
anything  than  you  do  back  East,  where  every  one  is 
supposed  to  know  everything  that's  worth  while." 

All  during  the  afternoon,  no  matter  what  she  hap- 
pened to  be  doing,  her  thoughts  returned  to  that  cu- 
rious and  not  very  flattering  conclusion.  She  recalled 
to  mind  the  different  people  she  had  met  in  the  short 
time  she  had  been  in  Idaho.  They  had  all  been  "onto 
their  job,"  as  they  would  have  said.  Even  when  they 
were  not  naturally  qualified  for  their  work,  they  were 
self-reliant  and  resourceful. 

Harry's  great  desire  now  was  to  find  a  way  to  help 
Rob.  She  looked  round  the  vast  expanse  of  untilled 
acres ;  neither  her  hand  nor  her  brain  was  yet  capable 
of  attacking  that  work.  She  turned  and  surveyed  the 
inside  of  the  tent,  and  the  spirit  of  all  her  ^N'ew 
England  ancestors  rose  up  in  protest  within  her. 
Gazing  helplessly  at  the  dishes  of  half-eaten  food,  the 
piles  of  canned  goods,  the  eggs  and  butter  heaped 
under  the  table  because  there  was  no  other  place  for 
them,  she  saw  in  her  mind  her  !N'ew  England  home, 

107 


HOMESTEAD  RANCH 

with  its  cellars,  cupboards,  storerooms,  and  pantries. 
Of  aljl  the  housekeeping  necessities  for  which  this 
chaotic  tent  cried  to  her,  it  cried  loudest  for  a  pantry. 
Who  could  keep  house  without  a  pantry  ? 

What,  she  wondered,  had  Mrs.  Robinson  done  for  a 
pantry  when  she  had  started  housekeeping  in  her  one- 
room  "shack"  ?  Harry's  thoughts  shifted  to  the  ranch 
house,  and  the  Robinsons'  cheerful  slapdash  way  of 
doing  the  day's  work.  She  remembered  helping 
Vashti  bring  in  the  butter  and  milk  from  the  side-hill 
cellar. 

A  cellar !  Laughing,  Harry  ran  down  to  the  garden. 
She  came  back  with  the  shovel  and  grub  hoe,  and  went 
on  to  the  stream  where  the  bank  rose  steeply  on  the 
other  side  into  the  slope  of  the  hill. 

At  first  her  enthusiasm  made  the  work  seem  easy. 
It  was  fun  to  drag  the  stones  from  the  bank,  to  tear 
out  roots  and  bushes,  and  gradually  to  see  a  cave  shape 
itself.  Of  course  it  would  be  only  a  miniature  cave, 
just  large  enough  to  hold  a  wooden  packing  box  on 
end;  but  she  could  keep  there  butter  and  eggs  and 
milk,  and  perhaps  a  few  dishes. 

Before  she  realized  it  the  sun  was  low,  the  pigs  were 
squealing  for  their  supper,  and  her  hands  were  badly 
blistered. 

Well  along  in  the  afternoon  of  the  next  day,  Harry 
was  still  digging  bravely  at  her  cellar.  It  was  not 
enthusiasm  now,  but  determination,  that  kept  her  at 
her  task.     She  stood  in  the  water  and  chopped  doggedly 

108 


HOMESTEAD  RANCH 

at  the  roots.  Sometimes  slie  stopped  to  wipe  her  hot 
face  on  her  sleeve,  or  to  give  her  hair  another  twist. 

"About  a  dozen  shovelfuls,"  she  said  suddenly  aloud, 
"and  it  will  be  finished." 

"What'll  be  finished?" 

"Oh!"  With  a  cry  Harry  whirled  round  and  faced 
Rob,  who  stood  on  the  opposite  bank  grinning  with 
amusement  at  the  muddy,  disheveled  young  person  be- 
fore him. 

"Rob!  You  mean  thing!  How  you  scared  me! 
When  did  you  come  ?     I  didn't  hear  you." 

"No  wonder,  making  such  a  racket  yourself.  What's 
that?    A  playhouse?" 

"A  playhouse!  That's  a  cellar."  She  dropped  her 
work  and  walked  back  to  the  tent  with  him.  "Well, 
it's  good  to  see  you.  What  has  happened  ?  What  did 
Raebum  say?" 

"Oh,  not  much.     Gave  me  some  good  advice." 

"What  about  Jones?  Oh,  yes,  I  forgot.  The 
sheriff  was  here  from  Shoshone.  He  stopped  here  to 
ask  you  about  those  colts.  He  has  them  down  in 
town." 

"Yes,  I  know.     I  saw  them  last  night." 

"Well,  then,  you  know  more  than  I  do." 

"I  know  you've  thought  I  was  pretty  mean,  sis," 
Rob  said,  after  a  moment's  silence,  "not  to  tell  you 
all  about  this  business  at  the  start.  It  wasn't  because 
I  didn't  trust  you;  it  was  simply  to  save  you  from 
having  to  answer  questions  that  you  couldn't  have  an- 

109 


HOMESTEAD  KANCH 

swered  honestly  without  giving  ev^^'thing  away.  But 
now  it^s  all  settled  and  you  can  know  what  weVe  been 
doing. 

"First,  I  suppose  you'd  like  to  know  who  Jones  is. 
I  met  him  winter  before  last  when  we  were  both  work- 
ing on  the  new  railway  out  of  Shoshone.  Jones  had 
taken  a  subcontract  under  Grant,  the  man  who  had  the 
whole  job  from  the  company,  and  from  the  start  every- 
thing was  against  him:  he  struck  rock,  lost  a  team, 
and  was  laid  up  sick  for  a  couple  of  weeks.  He  just 
lost  out  all  around. 

"Well,  when  he  came  to  quit  he  hadn't  a  cent  and 
was  about  five  hundred  dollars  in  debt  besides.  Grant 
got  out  a  judgment  against  him  for  supplies,  and  there 
Jones  was,  with  his  whole  winter's  work  shot  to  nothing. 

"He  worked  at  odd  jobs  during  the  summer.  Then 
when  he  heard  of  that  government  ditch  up  in  the 
northern  part  of  the  state,  he  hiked  up  there.  He 
worked  there  all  winter,  got  good  pay,  and  saved  some 
money.  He'd  written  to  me,  off  and  on,  and  I  saw 
he  was  worried  about  that  money  he  owed.  He  wanted 
to  pay  it,  but  if  he  came  back  and  paid  up  everything, 
he'd  be  cleaned  out.  If  he  could  only  invest  it  and 
make  a  little  profit  on  it,  he  could  pay  his  debts  just 
the  same  and  have  a  little  left  over  to  start  on.  He'd 
had  such  hard  luck  and  worried  so  hard  it  seemed  only 
fair. 

"I  happened  to  think  of  bringing  horses  in  to  sell. 
A  work  team  fetches  a  good  price  down  round  Jerome 
and  Twin  Falls,  where  the  new  settlers  are  coming  in. 

110 


HOMESTEAD  EANCH 

So  we  went  into  partnership  on  a  bunch  of  horses. 
Jones  went  across  into  Oregon  and  got  some  colts  cheap 
and  brought  'em  down  here." 

*TBut  why  did  you  have  to  keep  it  a  secret  V* 
"Why,  because,  if  his  creditors  had  found  out  that 
he  had  a  bunch  of  horses,  they'd  have  attached  the 
whole  lot  of  them  and  sold  them  in  auction  for  what- 
ever they  could  get." 

'TBut  if  he  had  sold  them  to  you ^ 

"Yes,  that's  exactly  why  he  did  sell  them  to  me; 
'consideration  one  dollar.'  Of  course,  he  and  I  under- 
stood that  they  were  really  his,  but  legally  they  were 
mine,  and  no  one  could  take  them  from  me  to  settle 
his  debts ;  but  to  be  on  the  safe  side  we  kept  the  colts  up 
in  the  draw  and  worked  with  them  only  in  the  early 
morning  and  late  afternoon,  when  there  wasn't  much 
danger  of  cattle  men  coming  through.  Well,  every- 
thing was  going  fine,  until  one  day  when  Jones  was 
off  looking  up  business  he  met  a  fellow  he'd  known 
on  the  railway  that  winter.  Of  course  the  fellow 
wanted  to  know  how  Jones  was  doing.  Jones  forgot 
himself  and  told  more  than  he  meant  to.  The  other 
fellow  was  on  his  way  to  Shoshone  then,  and  he  said 
more  than  he  should  have.  Grant  heard  about  it,  and 
by  the  time  Jones  had  got  back  from  Jerome,  Grant 
had  sent  the  sheriff  after  the  horses." 

"But  why  didn't  Mason  come  down  to  see  you?" 
exclaimed  Harry.  "What  a  strange  thing  to  do — 
come  and  drive  the  horses  off  your  land  without  a 
word!" 

Ill 


HOMESTEAD  KAISTCH 

'TBut  he  didn't  know  that  they  were  mine,  or  that 
they  were  on  my  land." 

"Well,  how  did  they  know  where  to  find  them? 
Jones  didn't  tell  that  fellow  exactly  where  they  were, 
did  he?" 

"Of  course  not.  It  was  through  Joyce  they  found 
out.  He  was  in  town,  at  Mason's  office,  when  Grant 
came  in  to  send  the  sheriff  after  the  colts,  and  Joyce  re- 
membered seeing  them  up  there  in  the  draw  near  the 
big  quaking  asp.  Every  one  knows  that  tree,  so  it 
was  easy  for  Mason  to  find  the  horses.  It  was  dusk 
when  he  got  there,  and  so  I  don't  suppose  he  even 
thought  of  looking  round  to  see  whether  any  one  lived 
down  below  in  the  canon." 

"Well,  anyhow,  if  they're  yours  legally,  why 
can't  you  go  down  and  prevent  Grant  from  selling 
them?" 

"I  thought  of  that.  But  Jones  said  not  to — I 
talked  with  him  on  the  telephone  last  night.  We've 
sold  half  the  bunch  already,  and  the  market  is  as  good 
now  as  it  ever  will  be,  and  rather  than  have  any  mix- 
up  he  thinks  it's  better  to  let  Grant  sell  off  the  rest 
as  quick  as  he  can.  We've  made  a  good  profit  already, 
and  so  long  as  Jones  is  satisfied,  I  am.  I  got  him  into 
the  scheme,  so  I  felt  that  I  had  to  stand  by  him  to  the 
finish." 

"You  certainly  did!"  exclaimed  Harry.  "It  isn't 
every  one  who  would  go  to  jail  for  a  man  who  is  almost 
a  stranger.  Lose  all  that  time  and  gain  nothing  by 
itl" 

112 


HOMESTEAD  RANCH 

"Didn't  I  gain  anything?"  Eob  looked  at  her 
oddly.     "Didn't  we,  rather?" 

"Didn't  we?"  she  repeated,  puzzled. 

"Sure.  Wasn't  it  by  coming  over  to  bring  me  that 
bill  that  you  found  out  all  about  Boykin  Hunter  and 
the  chance  to  contest  his  filing?" 

"Sure  enough.  I'd  forgotten.  How  did  his  case 
come  out  ?     Did  he  get  the  six  months  he  deserved  ?" 

"!N'ot  yet.  Joyce  was  there,  and  he  made  a  big 
powpow;  said  he  could  bring  witnesses  to  prove  that 
Boykin  was  a  noble  character,  that  he  wouldn't  hurt 
a  fly,  and  so  on.  Asked  for  a  stay  until  next  court. 
Gamett  says  that's  to  give  him  time  to  chase  round 
and  find  another  man  to  put  on  that  land.  He's  going 
to  keep  an  eye  on  him, — Garnett  on  Joyce,  I  mean, — 
and  if  anything  suspicious  seems  to  be  brewing,  he'll 
dhase  down  here  and  warn  us." 

"That's  nice  of  him,  isn't  it?  You  aren't  mad  at 
him  any  longer?" 

"At  Gamett?  Of  course  not.  I  was  sore  at  him 
for  being  so  bull-headed  about  his  horse ;  but  of  course 
he  was  right  to  hang  on  to  his  suspicions  until  they 
were  proved  wrong.  He  was  there  this  morning  in 
court.  He  saw  Mason  last  night,  too,  and  learned  the 
whole  story  about  this  horse  deal.  Yes,  Gamett's  a 
good  fellow.  It's  fellows  like  him  and  old  Dan  Bran- 
nan  that  show  a  fellow  what  the  West  really  is — ^the 
place  where  the  man  himself  counts  every  time." 

He  got  up  and  stretched  himself.  "I  think  I'll  drive 
over  to  Soldier  to-morrow  and  get  a  load  of  lumber. 

113 


HOMESTEAD  RANCH 

It's  too  dry  to  plow,  and  it  won't  be  long  before  I'll 
be  going  haying  and  harvesting.  If  I  get  the  lumber 
in  now,  we'll  be  ready  to  start  building  the  house  early 
in  September." 

'Where  shall  we  put  the  house?  I  wish  we  could 
have  it  farther  up  the  glen,  near  the  trees." 

'Tet's  go  look  round,"  suggested  Eob. 

As  they  walked  up  the  slope,  Harry  said  suddenly, 
"Oh,  yes,  I've  meant  to  ask  you  a  dozen  times;  how 
did  Garnett's  horse  happen  to  be  in  that  bunch  of 
colts?  I  never  told  you  how  Garnett  came  here  one 
day  to  look  for  his  horse."  She  went  on  to  relate  what 
had  happened,  and  why  she  had  always  put  off  telling 
him  of  it. 

"Isn't  that  queer,  the  way  a  little  incident  can  twist 
everything!"  Rob  exclaimed.  "If  I'd  known  that,  I'd 
probably  never  have  ridden  the  horse;  never  have  got 
pinched  anyhow,  for  refusing  to  tell  where  he  came 
from.  The  way  Jones  happened  to  have  him  was  this : 
You  remember  Garnett  said  he'd  lost  him?  Well,  a 
half-breed  up  in  the  reserve  had  stolen  him,  along 
with  another,  and  was  on  his  way  to  Boise  when  he 
met  Jones  coming  this  way,  and  got  him  to  give  him  a 
colt  in  exchange  for  the  two  saddle  horses." 

"Goodness  me !  What  a  tangle,  and  yet  how  simple 
when  once  you  know  what  caused  it  all  1  And  where  is 
Jones  now?  They  didn't  keep  him  a  prisoner  in 
Shoshone " 

"Oh,  no,  he's  at  liberty,  but  he  had  to  stay  and  see 
how  the  matter  was  coming  out.     He  said  that  after 

114r 


HOMESTEAD  RANCH 

he  pays  his  debts  he's  going  into  Oregon  again  to  buy 
more  colts." 

They  had  been  walking  up  the  slope  at  a  leisurely 
gait,  and  had  just  stopped  beside  a  big  rock  to  look 
round  when  the  thud!  thud!  of  a  horse's  hoofs  came 
up  from  the  trail,  and  they  saw  a  buggy  and  team 
approaching.  Rob  shouted,  and  as  the  answering  call 
came  back,  Harry  giggled  excitedly. 

"It's  Garnett!     I'd  know  that  voice  anywhere." 

They  ran  down  to  meet  him,  and  reached  the  tent 
just  as  he  climbed  out  of  the  dust-covered  buggy. 

"Hello,  young  fellow !  What's  the  complaint  now  ?" 
asked  Rob.  "I  speak  for  one  night's  sleep  before  you 
drag  me  to  jail  again." 

"Oh,  don't  worry,"  Garnett  replied  calmly.  "It 
ain't  you  I'm  after  this  time ;  it's  your  sister." 

"Me!"  Harry  exclaimed.  "Why,  what  do  you 
mean?" 

"Oh,  say  now!  You're  easy,  ain't  you?"  Garnett 
apologized,  with  mischief  gleaming  in  his  eyes.  "I 
didn't  tell  Bob  the  whole  story,  but  didn't  he  tell  you 
that  I  promised  to  come  after  you  any  time  to  go  and 
file  a  contest  on  that  homestead  you're  wanting?" 

"What  do  you  know  about  that !"  Rob  exclaimed  in 
delight.  "Has  Boykin  admitted  he  is  Hunter,  after 
all,  or  what?" 

"No,  it's  Joyce  that's  given  himself  away ;  given  the 
whole  thing  into  my  hand  the  way  you'd  shove  a  bottle 
at  a  baby." 

"Oh,  how?"  Harry  cried. 
115 


HOMESTEAD  EAl^CH 

It  was  yesterday,  down  at  the  livery  stable  in  Sol- 
dier," began  Gamett,  as  they  all  sat  down  on  the 
grass.  "I  was  in  the  stall  way  at  the  end  of  the  shed 
fixing  up  my  horse,  and  Joyce  and  another  fellow 
came  in  along  the  alley  beside  me.  Joyce  never 
dreamed  any  one  was  listening,  and  he  gave  the  whole 
thing  up.  He'a  going  away  to-morrow  morning  to 
show  this  new  herder  the  land  he's  to  make  entry  on, 
and  then  they're  going  to  hike  back  to  Shoshone  in  his 
automobile  and  file  a  contest  over  Boykin's  filing." 

"To-morrow !"  repeated  Eob. 

"You're  guessing.  That  gives  us  to-night  to  get 
ready;  we'll  make  one  first-class  early  start  for  Sho- 
shone in  the  morning." 

"To-morrow!" 

"Say,"  said  Garnett,  turning  to  Rob,  who  sat  as  if 
he  were  dreaming,  "don't  use  so  many  words.  It  sort 
of  confuses  me." 

"You  think  we  can  do  it?"  asked  Eob.  It  seemed 
too  good  to  be  true,  and  he  was  afraid  that  he  should 
show  his  feeling. 

"Can  we!  Well,  I  guess  we  can!  You  wait  until 
you  get  in  the  rig  behind  that  team  of  cayuses.  You'll 
do  it,  hands  down." 

Rob  looked  at  Gamett.  He  did  not  speak,  but  in 
his  mute,  eloquent  gaze  Gamett  saw  that  what  he  had 
wished  for  had  at  last  come  to  pass:  HoUiday  was 
ready  to  be  his  friend ! 

"Isn't  it  queer,"  Harry  said,  after  a  moment's  si- 
lence, "the  way  some  people  can  take  other  people's 

116 


HOMESTEAD  RANCH 

mistakes  and  blunders  and  turn  them  into  other 
people's  good  fortune !" 

"Ain't  you  got  an  awful  lot  of  folks  mixed  up  in 
that  ?"  asked  Gamett. 

"^NTot  so  many  as  you  might  guess,  if  you  wanted  to," 
said  Harry,  laughing,  as  she  rose  and  went  inside  to 
her  work. 

Supper  was  a  merry  meal.  Eob  and  Gamett 
laughed  and  talked  and  joked  freely.  Harry  did  not 
say  much,  but  the  sparkle  in  her  eyes  showed  that  she 
was  very  happy. 

"And  now,  Harry,  how  early  in  the  morning  can 
you  be  ready  to  start  for  Shoshone  ?"  asked  Eob,  as  he 
and  Garnett  prepared  to  leave  the  tent  for  their  beds 
in  the  hay.  "I  don't  mean  ready  to  begin  to  get  ready ; 
I  mean  ready  to  hit  the  trail." 

"Oh,  I  can  start  now,  if  you  say  so,"  returned  Harry, 
with  a  smile. 

"Say.  Let's  take  a  ten-minute  nap  first,"  Gamett 
pleaded.  "I  feel  like  I  was  a  living  moving-picture 
show  these  days — I  keep  moving  so  much  up  and  down 
the  big  road." 

"Shall  we  make  it  eight  o'clock  in  the  morning, 
then?"  said  Rob.  "By  the  way,  Gamett,  how  are  we 
going?     We  can't  all  three  squeeze  into  that  bu^y." 

"We  could,  but  there's  no  use  of  it.  You'll  take  the 
team  and  I'll  ride  your  horse." 

"You  can't.  He's  down  in  Shoshone  in  that  bunch 
of  colts." 

"Shucks!  Well,  I'll  go  as  far  aa  Robinson's  with 
117 


HOMESTEAD  KANCH 

you  and  borrow  a  horse.  Then  I'll  ride  in  ahead  and 
meet  you  there.  'No  use  of  me  milling  round  in  the 
dust  behind  you  for  thirty  miles." 

"I  wish  there  were  a  short  cut  to  town,"  said  Harry 
to  Rob,  as  they  climbed  out  of  Spring  Creek  canon  the 
following  morning  and  started  across  the  flats.  Gar- 
nett  had  borrowed  a  horse  at  the  Robinsons'  and  had 
ridden  on  ahead.  "If  Joyce  sees  us  on  the  road,  won't 
he  suspect  where  we're  going  ?" 

"Why  should  he?  He  hasn't  the  faintest  idea  that 
we  know  his  plans." 

"But  he  knows  that  we  wanted  that  homestead,  and 
that  we  know  Boykin  is  under  suspicion  of  being  some 
one  else.  If  he  hadn't  been  afraid,  I  don't  believe  he'd 
have  rushed  off  like  this  to  put  a  new  man  on  the  land." 

"No,  I  don't  suppose  he  would.  Still,  I'm  not 
worrying.  Even  if  he  knew  everything,  he's  got  to  go 
up  on  the  land  before  he  comes  through  by  the  road, 
and  he's  got  to  go  slow  a  lot  of  the  way.  A  buzz  wagon 
is  all  right  on  a  boulevard,  but  in  a  race  like  this  give 
me  a  good  team  and  a  light  rig  and  I'll  lay  my  money 
on  that." 

As  they  drove  along  they  laughed  and  talked,  pictur- 
ing Joyce's  disgust  at  finding  himself  beaten,  and  feel- 
ing, in  truth,  as  if  they  had  already  run  and  won  the 
race.  It  was  not  imtil  Rob  looked  at  his  watch  and 
found  that  it  was  half-past  twelve  o'clock  that 
they  realized  how  much  still  lay  between  them  and 
victory. 

118 


HOMESTEAD  RANCH 

"I  guess  we'd  better  not  stop  at  the  Hyslop  ranch  for 
lunch,"  he  said.  "I'll  let  the  horses  drink,  but  we 
won't  feed  them.  They  would  have  to  rest  an  hour  if 
I  did,  and  we've  got  to  take  the  next  fifteen  miles  on 
the  run." 

"Yes,  yes,"  Harry  agreed  earnestly.  "We  mustn't 
stop  for  anything.  We  can't  lose  that  homestead, 
Bobs,  we  can't." 

Leaning  forward,  with  her  hands  clasped  tensely,  she 
watched  one  after  another  the  landmarks  that  Rob  had 
pointed  out  to  her  on  their  first  ride  across  the  hills. 
How  different  she  felt  now ! 

They  stopped  to  water  the  horses  and  to  give  them  a 
few  minutes'  rest ;  then  they  pushed  on  again.  Always 
listening  and  looking  back,  they  kept  the  horses  up  to 
their  work,  and  at  the  same  time  saved  them  for  the 
last  spurt. 

"We're  doing  about  eight  miles  an  honr  now,"  Rob 
said  some  time  later.  'We've  about  an  hour  and  a  half 
before  the  land  office  closes,  and  we  ought  to  be  able  to 
do  the  the  rest  of  the  trip  in  that  time.  That  is,  "unless 
Joyce  gets  in  and  does  it  quicker." 

He  had  hardly  spoken  when  they  heard  behind  them 
the  faint  blare  of  a  horn. 

"There  he  is  now  I"  They  said  it  in  one  breath,  and 
their  eyes  met. 

Rob  slid  forward  in  his  seat.     "We'll  do  it  or  bust." 

"How  can  we  ?"  asked  Harry  despairingly. 

"I  don't  know.  But  I'm  not  going  to  give  up  now, 
would  you  ?" 

119 


HOMESTEAD  EANCH 

"Oh,  no,  no!  Let's  keep  going  to  the  very  last. 
Something  may  happen  for  us." 

Although  the  horses  did  their  best,  the  motor  car 
gained  on  them  rapidly.  Knowing  that  the  car  could 
pass  them  even  if  he  held  the  middle  of  the  road,  Eob 
drew  to  the  roadside.  As  the  lumbering  automobile 
went  swiftly  by  it  lunged  down  into  a  mudhole  and 
spattered  them  freely. 

"Thanks,"  said  Kob  placidly  as  Joyce  glanced  back 
over  his  shoulder.  "That's  one  we  owe  you.  ^N'ever 
mind,  sis.  You  want  to  hold  on,  for  wherever  there's 
a  stretch  of  good  road  I'll  hit  up  the  pace." 

"Yes,  that's  right.  He  might  break  down  or  strike 
a  snag  at  the  last  moment." 

"Snakes  and  si  wash!"  Eob  cried  a  few  moments 
later.     "He's  done  it!     He's  stuck!" 

"O  Bobs,"  Harry  cried,  giggling  hysterically, 
"please  be  careful!     The   horses   might   run   away." 

"O  my,  O  my,  O  my  great-grandmother!"  Rob 
shouted  with  delight  as  he  pointed  ahead. 

They  could  now  see  the  whole  of  the  road  between 
them  and  town.  It  wound  downhill  through  the  sago- 
brush,  and  then  crossed  the  main  ditch  of  the  irrigation 
company ;  from  there  it  ran  in  a  straight  line  between 
the  fenced  fields  until  it  entered  the  town. 

About  a  mile  ahead,  just  after  crossing  the  bridge, 
the  automobile  stood  motionless.  The  three  men  had 
climbed  out,  and  were  moving  distractedly  about  it. 
Apparently  their  efforts  to  start  it  were  proving  fu- 
tile. 

120 


HOMESTEAD  EANOH 

''What  did  I  tell  you  V  chuckled  Hob.  "He's  struck 
a  mudhole  and  bogged  down.  Look!  There's  a  big 
break  in  the  ditch  somewhere  above  and  the  road  is 
flooded  a  foot  deep.  Get  up,  you  Derby  winners,  get 
upl" 


CHAPTER  X 

As  Rob  and  Harry  drew  near  the  disabled  automo- 
bile, Joyce  stepped  out  into  the  muddy  road  and  hailed 
them. 

"You  couldn't  stop  long  enough  to  hitch  on  here  and 
haul  us  out,  could  you,  Mr.  HoUiday?"  he  asked  in- 
gratiatingly, as  Rob  stopped.  "We  can't  get  her 
started  neither  way.  It's  kind  of  mean  to  ask  a  fel- 
low to  onhitch,  but  there's  accidents  happen  to  all  of 
us,  ain't  there?" 

Rob  glanced  at  the  car.  Its  front  wheels  were 
stuck  fast  in  the  mudhole;  moreover,  the  bank  of  the 
slough  was  so  soft  and  deep  that  Joyce  could  not  get 
power  enough  into  the  wheels  to  force  the  machine 
either  forward  or  backward.  Rob  watched  him 
twice  crank  the  engine  and  throw  open  the  lever. 
The  car  shook  violently,  but  refused  to  move,  li 
was  safe  where  it  was  for  some  time. 

"You  ought  to  get  a  couple  of  heavy  rails  or  fence- 
posts  to  pry  up  the  front  wheels  and  run  her  across." 

"That's  all  right,  but  I  don't  see  any  lying  round 
here,  do  you?"  Joyce  soiapped  angrily.  Then  he 
added  in  a  more  pleasant  tone,  "I'll  make  it  worth 
your  while  to  put  your  team  in  here.  I've  got  busi- 
ness in  town  that  can't  wait." 

"I'm  sorry;  so  have  I,"  answered  Rob. 
122 


HOMESTEAD  RANCH 

^'Wouldn't  twenty-five  make  it  up  to  you?  Here 
it  is."     Joyce  pulled  the  gold  pieces  from  his  pocket 

Eob  shook  his  head.  "Business  first,  pleasure 
afterward,"  he  said,  as  the  team  started  ahead. 
"I'm  late  as  it  is.  You  can  get  a  couple  of  planka 
over  at  the  ranch  yonder." 

A  little  way  down  the  road  Rob  glanced  back. 
"!N'ow  for  the  last  lap,"  he  said.  "If  that  motor  will 
only  be  kind  enough  to  sulk  for  half  an  hour  longer, 
I  think  we  can  just  about  beat  him,  her  or  it  by  a 
neck.     Hurray !" 

"He  hasn't  started  yertj,"  Harry  announced  from 
time  to  time,  looking  back  to  see  what  progress  their 
rival  was  making.  "Why  can't  he  stick  where  he 
is  until  we  get  there?  The  moment  he  manages  to 
get  his  machine  out  of  the  mud  he'll  simply  open 
everything  and  rush  past  us,  and  we'll  not  be  in  the 
race  at  all." 

"^NTot  much.  He'd  bust  the  whole  machine  wide 
open  if  he  struck  one  of  these  sharp  rocks  going  fast. 
No,  he'll  wait  until  he  gets  pretty  near  town,  where 
the  roads  are  smooth,  before  he  hits  her  up  to  top 
speed.  So  here  is  where  we  whirl  in  and  do  our 
level  best." 

Rob  merely  touched  one  of  the  ponies  with  the 
whip,  and  it  was  enough.  Both  ponies  started  on  a 
run. 

"O  Rob!  They're  running  away!"  gasped 
Harry. 

"Don't  worry.  I'd  hate  to  see  them  drop,  but  I'm 
123 


HOMESTEAD  RA:t^CH 

going  to  get  there  first,  or  bust.     Where's  Joyce  now  ?" 

Harry  turned  and  knelt  on  the  seat  of  the  swaying 
buggy.  *^I  don't  see  him.  Yes,  there  he  is  I  He's 
started  I     O  Bobs !     If  we  could  only  go  faster !" 

Rob  did  not  answer.  All  his  attention  was  on  the 
team.  How  they  could  run!  With  ears  back  and 
tails  stretched  out,  they  dashed  on ;  behind  them  swung 
the  buggy,  bounding  over  mudholes  and  across  stones 
and  ruts.     Faster  and  faster  the  ponies  flew. 

Not  daring  to  look  back,  Harry  clung  to  the  seat  with 
both  hands.  Behind  them  came  the  continual  blare  of 
the  horn  as  the  motor  car  crept  up  on  them,  drew  nearer 
and  nearer,  until,  as  they  scrambled  up  the  last  hill,  the 
mad  clatter  of  the  engine  seemed  almost  in  their  ears. 
At  the  top  of  the  slope,  with  the  main  street  stretching 
before  them,  Rob  showed  no  mercy.  With  the  reins 
wrapped  round  his  hands,  he  sat  forward  on  the  edge 
of  the  seat  and  urged  the  horses  on. 

Down  the  main  street  they  went,  missing  a  wagon, 
swerving  past  men  who  ran  out  to  stop  the  runaway 
team,  and  who  then,  seeing  the  motor  car  behind,  under- 
stood, and  shouted  applause.  In  a  moment  the  quiet 
street  was  in  an  uproar  of  excitement.  Shopkeepers 
and  customers,  comer  idlers  and  school  children,  old 
men  and  women,  ran  pell-mell  after  the  galloping  team 
and  the  motor  car. 

Of  three  men  on  horseback  who  joined  in  the  chase, 
one  was  Gamett.  He  had  reached  town  about  an  hour 
before,  but  had  not  wished  to  put  up  his  horse  until 
Harry  and  Rob  should  come  in.    As  soon  as  be  saw 

124 


HOMESTEAD  RANCH 

them  flying  down  the  street,  he  rode  up,  and,  by  keep- 
ing close  to  the  side  of  the  buggy,  helped  to  block  the 
way  to  those  behind. 

As  Eob  pulled  over  to  the  side  of  the  street  toward 
the  land  office,  Gamett  shouted  to  Harry,  "Jump  for 
the  door!     Jump!" 

Quick  as  thought,  he  reached  down  from  his  saddle, 
caught  the  girl  round  the  waist  as  she  leaned  forward, 
and  swung  her  from  the  buggy.  He  swung  himself 
after  her,  and  sprang  up  the  steps  to  the  office  door  just 
time  to  get  between  Harry  and  the  sheepman,  who 
reached  for  the  doorknob  at  the  same  moment  But  in- 
stead of  all  three  piling  into  the  room  together,  they 
merely  fell  against  the  door.     Eor  the  door  was  locked. 

Trembling  with  exhaustion  and  excitement,  Harry 
felt  her  hand  slip  as  Joyce  tried  to  push  her  out  of  the 
way. 

"No,  you  don't,  Joyce!"  Gamett  said  roughly, 
thrusting  his  arm  in  front  of  the  sheepman.  "You 
didn't  get  here  first." 

"This  is  a  put-up  job !"  began  Joyce  angrily. 

"I  bet !"  was  Garnett's  grim  answer,  which  brought  a 
laugh  from  the  crowd  that  had  gathered  about  the  steps 
to  see  what  would  happen. 

"Let  me  into  this  office!"     Joyce  ordered. 

"The  clerk  didn't  leave  the  key  with  me." 

"This  isn't  your  affair.     Get  away  from  that  door!" 

"Get  away  yourself." 

"Perhaps  I  had  better  go,"  Harry  said  in  a  low  tone 
to  Garnett.     "I  can  come  back  in  the  morning." 

125 


HOMESTEAD  KANCH 

"IsTot  early  enough  to  get  what  you're  after,'^  said 
Gamett,  glancing  down  at  her.  "You  can  hang  on  a 
while,  can't  you,  until  Rob  gets  back?  He's  gone  to 
find  out  about  opening  this  place.  You  don't  want  to 
have  to  stand  here  all  night." 

"All  night  r 

She  turned  a  dismayed  face  on  him.  Gamett  gazed 
into  it  a  moment  without  answering.  Never  had  he 
seen  any  girl  look  as  Harry  looked  now.  She  was 
spattered  with  mud  from  hair  to  shoes.  She  had  lost 
both  hat  and  hairpins  on  that  wild  drive,  and  her  brown 
curls  lay  in  disorder  about  her  neck.  Her  cheeks  were 
white;  even  her  lips  were  pale  with  excitement  and 
weariness.  But  in  her  eyes  shone  the  exultation  of 
victory  and  on  her  lips  was  a  smile. 

"I  can  stand  here  a  week  if  I  have  to,"  she  said. 
"But  I  hope  I  shan't  have  to." 

"You've  got  to  get  into  this  place  first  if  you  want 
that  homestead.  Here  comes  Rob  now.  Perhaps  he's 
corralled  the  clerk." 

Rob  elbowed  his  way  through  the  crowd  that  was 
pressing  up  to  stare  at  Harry.  "No  use,"  he  said. 
"The  office  won't  be  opened  until  nine  o'clock  to-morrow 
morning.  I  saw  the  clerk  just  as  he  was  leaving  town 
to  go  to  a  wedding,  and  wild  horses  couldn't  have  held 
him.     Are  you  onto  your  job,  sis  ?" 

"I  guess  so.     Listen.     What  is  he  saying?" 

Joyce  had  retreated  to  the  sidewalk.  He  was  not 
afraid  of  a  fight  or  unused  to  one,  but  for  various 

126 


HOMESTEAD  KANOH 

reasons  he  hesitated  to  try  to  get  possession  of  the  door 
by  force. 

The  jokes  of  the  crowd  were  becoming  more  and 
more  irritating  to  him,  however,  and  suddenly  he  called 
out,  "I'll  give  twenty-five  dollars  to  any  one  who'll 
break  that  girl's  hold  on  the  door  there!" 

"And  I'll  give  fifty  swift  kicks  to  any  one  who  triea 
it!"  cried  Garnett. 

"Wouldn't  the  young  lady  like  a  chair?"  a  voice 
said  at  Harry's  elbow. 

Turning,  Harry  saw  Smoot,  the  hotel  clerk,  lean- 
ing over  the  railing  of  the  porch  with  a  chair  in  his 
hand. 

"That's  good  of  you!"  she  exclaim^  gratefully.  "I 
didn't  realize  how  tired  I  am." 

"Hungry,  too,  I  guess,"  suggested  Smoot.  "If 
you're  going  to  stick  it  out  all  night,  you'll  need  some 
good  chuck  to  hold  you." 

*1  expect  I  shall,"  agreed  Harry  with  a  tired  little 
laugh. 

"Say,  Smoot,"  suggested  Kob,  "can't  you  go  over  to 
Kenny's  and  tell  'em  to  send jound  a  tray  of  grub?" 

"All  right.  Anything  in  particular  you'd  like, 
Miss  Holliday?" 

"A  gallon  or  two  of  water;  I'm  so  thirsty!  But 
don't  you  want  to  eat  your  own  suppers?"  she  said, 
turning  to  Eob  and  Garnett. 

"Shucks!  We  don't  care  when  we  eat,"  Garnett 
assured  her.     "We'll  starve  out  this  bunch  first,  any- 

127 


HOMESTEAD  KANCH 

how."  Then,  in  a  lower  tone,  he  added,  ^When  Joyce 
sees  you're  game,  he'll  let  up." 

"I  guess  I'm  game." 

"Of  course  you  are.  I  saw  it  that  first  time  I  spoke 
to  you.     Remember  ?" 

"On  the  train?"  She  laughed.  "Indeed  I  do. 
And  you  told  me  I'd  stay.  Honestly,  I  didn't  expect 
to  then." 

"No,  you  didn't.  But  you  stick  to  what  you  tackle. 
I  kind  of  felt  that  once  you'd  camped  in  Idaho  it'd  get 
a  strangle  hold  on  you  somehow." 

"Well,  it  has.  Any  one  seeing  me  hanging  to  a  door- 
knob all  night  must  realize  that  I  like  Idaho  pretty 
well."     She  shivered  involuntarily  as  she  spoke. 

"You're  half  froze.  As  soon  as  they  come  with  that 
grub  we'll  send  for  a  blanket." 

"There  comes  the  food  now.  And  Mrs.  Kenny. 
Isn't  she  the  best,  though?  And  I  look  like — ^I  don't 
know  what." 

"Like  a  sure-enough  fighter,  and  that's  just  what 
Mrs.  Kenny  likes." 

The  sun  had  set  and  it  was  beginning  to  grow  chilly. 
Most  of  the  crowd  were  drifting  away.  With  a  pot  of 
coffee  in  one  hand,  a  basket  of  food  in  the  other,  and  a 
big  shawl  over  her  arm,  Mrs.  Kenny  came  sailing  down 
the  street,  exchanging  pungent  remarks  with  the  towns- 
folk as  she  passed ;  she  was  much  like  a  frigate  going  to 
the  rescue  with  guns  unmasked. 

"For  the  land  sakes,  girlie,"  she  exclaimed,  "is  it 
really  you?    Well,  you're  the  right  stuff!    Howdy, 

128 


HOMESTEAD  KA^CH 

Joyce?  Looks  like  you  wasn't  in  this  deal.  How 
about  it  V 

'^It's  early  yet,"  answered  Joyce  sourly.  'Wait  till 
four  o'clock  to-morrow  morning." 

"And  if  I  ain't  a  heap  sight  duller  than  I  think, 
you'll  be  some  tired  yourself  by  that  time,  settin'  all 
night  on  the  hard  side  of  that  stair-step.  Better  go 
git  you  some  supper,  you-  and  the  new  herder  you  got 
there." 

Joyce  growled  something  unintelligible  in  reply. 
He  held  a  low-toned  conversation  with  the  herder,  and 
after  a  moment  they  walked  away. 

The  minute  they  were  out  of  sight,  Mrs.  Kenny 
caught  Harry's  arm.  "Come  on,  now,"  she  said 
quickly.  "This  is  your  time.  You  come  round  to  the 
hotel  the  back  way  and  get  cleaned  up  and  rested. 
Joyce  won't  dream  you'll  go  like  this,  first  dash  out  of 
the  box.  And  if  he  did  come  back,  why,  Garnett  here 
ain't  never  filed,  and  he  can  hold  the  door  like  it's  for 
himseK  until  you  come  back.     Come  on,  now." 

"That's  right,"  insisted  Gamett  "Mrs.  Kenny  ia 
sure  right." 

When  Harry  came  back,  washed,  brushed,  fed,  and 
rested,  she  felt  prepared  for  anything.  Joyce  had  not 
returned,  and  the  three,  Harry,  Eob,  and  Gamett, 
felt  certain  that  he  had  accepted  defeat.  Still,  it 
would  not  do  to  run  any  chances,  and  they  prepared 
to  watch  through  the  night. 

Eob  had  brought  some  old  boxes  from  the  grocery 
store,  and  with  them  he  built  a  little  fire  in  the  road; 

129 


HOMESTEAD  KANCH 

there,  as  the  long,  chilly  hours  passed,  it  glowed  cheer- 
ingly.  He  and  Gamett  took  turns  watching  the  door 
and  the  fire. 

But  toward  morning  they  unconsciously  relaxed. 
!Rob,  with  his  head  on  his  knees,  dozed  beside  the 
smouldering  fire;  Gamett,  stretched  near  the  door, 
nodded;  and  Harry,  wrapped  in  the  warm  shawl, 
leaned  her  head  against  the  back  of  her  chair  and  tried 
to  realize  that  morning  was  very  near.  Then  suddenly 
she  started,  cried  out,  and  clutched  the  doorknob  just 
as  Joyce,  in  stocking  feet,  slid  swiftly  across  the  porch. 

Even  as  her  call  broke  from  her  lips,  Garnett  threw 
himself  forward,  caught  Joyce  by  the  leg,  and  brought 
him  to  the  floor.  Then,  dropping  his  hold,  he  sprang 
to  his  feet  and  stood  in  front  of  Harry,  ready  for  what 
might  come.  Rob,  too,  had  waked  at  the  first  sound 
of  trouble,  and  had  easily  frustrated  the  herder's  some- 
what faint-hearted  attempt  to  help  out  the  sheepman. 

Harry,  Rob,  and  Gamett  stood  witb  their  backs 
against  the  door,  prepared  for  anything.  But  Joyce 
had  wrenched  his  knee  in  falling  and,  unable  to  put  up 
a  good  fight,  limped  away  with  angry  threats. 

At  seven  o'clock  Mrs.  Kenny  appeared  with  break- 
fast. With  her  came  "Old  Man"  Kenny  and  Smoot  to 
take  the  place  of  Rob  and  Gamett  while  they  went  to 
the  hotel  to  eat. 

At  nine  o'clock  the  clerk  opened  the  office  door  and 
the  little  party  passed  inside.  After  all  the  excite- 
ment and  suspense,  the  mingled  hope  and  fear  through 
which  she  had  lived  in  the  last  twenty-four  hours, 

130 


HOMESTEAD  EANCH 

Harry  was  surprised  at  the  calmness  with  which  she 
went  through  the  necessary  business  of  signing  the 
papers  and  taking  the  oath. 

She  was  in  a  way,  the  cahnest  of  all  the  little  crowd 
which  had  collected  to  see  the  end  of  this  exciting  race 
and  to  take  a  good  look  at  the  girl  who  had  "put  one 
over  hog-dollar  Joyce."  Every  new  settler  means  much 
to  those  already  at  work  building  homes  in  a  new  terri- 
tory and  almost  every  one  who  traded  in  town  knew  Eob 
HoUiday  and  had  heard  of  the  hard  work  he  and  "the 
girl"  were  doing  on  his  homestead. 

The  news  of  the  race  had  of  course  run  through  the 
town  and  when  the  land  office  opened  for  Harry's  filing 
both  windows  were  full  of  heads  and  the  porch  held  a 
crowd  of  complimentary  size. 

A  low  but  constant  whisper  of  explanation  accompa- 
nied the  gray-haired  registrar's  voice  as  he  ran  through 
the  forms  with  Harry.  When  she  had  signed  her  name 
for  the  last  time  he  carefully  took  off  his  spectacles, 
looked  into  her  flushed  and  happy  face  with  a  kindly 
quizzical  smile  and  held  out  his  hand.  "I  don't  know 
when  I've  filed  anybody  that  pleased  me  like  this  has," 
he  said ;  "If  you  keep  a  going  on  your  hundred'n  sixty 
like  you  came  after  it,  young  lady,  you're  liable  to  have 
a  pretty  first  class  ranch  by  time  you  prove  up." 

A  laugh  of  appreciation  from  the  listening  group 
approved  this  remark  and  the  many  hands  that  shook 
hers  as  she  passed  down  to  the  street  assured  Harry  of 
the  good  will  that  went  with  her  to  the  work  before  her. 

They  spent  the  forenoon  in  town,  doing  errands  and, 
131 


HOMESTEAD  KAJSTCH 

visiting  with  the  acquaintances  who  had  heard  the 
story  of  Joyce's  defeat  and  came  around  to  hear  the 
particulars.  Mrs.  Kenny  gave  them  an  early  lunch 
and  after  thanking  her  for  her  share  in  the  victorious 
siege,  they  started  back  to  the  ranch,  Garnett  going 
with  them  in  order  to  take  the  team  and  buggy  back  to 
Hailey. 

They  were  tired  from  lack  of  sleep  and  the  long 
nervous  strain,  yet  they  were  too  elated  with  the  sense 
of  the  victory  they  had  won  to  let  it  go  at  that.  They 
must  talk  it  over  and  laugh  at  the  fears  they  had  en- 
dured, even  if  now  and  then  an  irrepressible  yawn 
would  sandwich  in  between  the  jokes. 

"I  bet  I  could  stretch  a  mile  if  I  didn't  hafF  to 
walk  back  to  meet  my  horse,"  Garnett  confessed. 

*^And  I'd  drop  out  at  the  Hyslop  ranch  and  sleep 
all  the  afternoon  if  I  didn't  hate  to  ask  you  two  to 
wait  and  take  me  home."  Harry's  infectious  laughter 
drew  a  smile  from  two  riders  who  passed  them  coming 
in  from  the  hills.  Their  felt  hats  pulled  low  over 
their  eyes,  their  sunburned  faces  powdered  with  white 
dust,  no  one  recognized  them  at  first  as  they  drew  off 
the  trail  to  let  the  buggy  pass.  But  they  touched  their 
hats  to  Harry  and  glanced  back. 

''Why,  hello  Lance,"  Bob  exclaimed.  "I  didn't 
recognize  you  and  Rudy  for  the  dust  that's  choked  us." 

The  two  dust-covered  riders  smiled.  "Ain't  you 
gettin'  back  from  town  early  ?"  Lance  inquired. 

"Not  so  early  as  you  fellas  are  gettin'  in  late.'* 
Garnett  interposed.     "The  show's  over." 

132 


HOMESTEAD  KAI>rCH 

"It  sounded  like  you'd  been  seein'  something  pretty 
good,"  Lance  admitted;  "There  wam't  no  notice  over 
to  Soldier  of  any  show." 

"Oh  it  wam't  that  sort.  Just  one  of  these  here 
amytoor  doin's.  Charades.  You  know.  Nobody 
knowed  what  he  was  going  to  say  'til  he  was  sayin' 
it " 

"Or  doing  it,"  Kerb  added. 

"Must  of  been  some  show,"  Kudy  Batts  ventured 
gravely,  his  hazel  eyes  very  quiet  and  watchful  for 
the  joke  behind  all  this  banter. 

"Some!  A  whole  lot,"  Gamett  said  warmly. 
"More  'specially  when  that  there  Joyce,  him  bein'  the 
villyan,  crope  up  and  thought  he'd  put  one  over  the 
lady  there." 

"Sounds  like  it  might  be  interesting  if  we  was  to 
hear  it,"  sa^d  Lance,  ^^e  got  the  vilyan,  but  who's 
the  hero?" 

"Therer  were  two,"  Harry  put  in  quickly.  "Two 
heroes  and  a  damsel  in  distress,  men  at  arms,  a  throng 
of  braye  retainers,  a  noble  dame  who  came  to  the 
rescue.     Oh,  it  was  wonderful.     You  tell  them,  boys !" 

As  the  story  was  told  there  were  nods  and  growls  of 
approval  from  the  two  young  men,  homestea^ders  them- 
selves, who  had  suffered  more  than  once  from  inroada 
of  sheep  and  cattle  owned  by  certain  high-handed 
stockmen. 

"It's  a  big  wedge  you  druv  in  between  Joyce  and 
his  land  grabbin'.  Miss  Holliday,"  Lance  told  her; 
"and  luck  was  sure  with  you  when  you  took  out  after 
him." 

183 


HOMESTEAD  EANCH 

"Spunk,  I'd  say,"  Garnett  suggested  as  they  all  pre- 
pared to  move  along. 

"Spunk!  That's  right."  Kudy  declared.  "If  there 
was  a  little  more  of  that  up  our  way  mebbe  we'd  get 
busy  and  pull  something  that'd  dehorn  animals  like 
Joyce  for  good  and  give  the  rest  of  us  a  chance  to  feed 
and  water." 

"This'll  be  the  best  news  on  the  prairie  this  year," 
was  Lance's  farewell  word. 

"Any  chance  to  board  at  your  place  for  a  while, 
Holliday?"  Garnett  asked,  and,  as  Kob  and  Harry 
looked  at  him  questioningly,  he  explained.  'Why, 
your  sister  there  will  be  cookin'  and  makin'  cake  for  a 
month  now  to  entertain  the  committee  on  congratula- 
tions that'll  be  hikin'  over." 

"I  certainly  owe  you  a  cake,  Garnett,"  said  Harry. 
"You  can  order  any  kind  you  like." 

So  they  talked  as  the  day  waned  and  they  climbed 
steadily  higher  until  Harry,  gazing  forward  along  the 
line  of  the  road  as  it  wound  through  flowering  rabbit 
brush  and  summer's  grass  across  the  foothills,  saw  again 
the  snowy  peaks  of  the  Sawtooth  looking  down  at  her. 

Was  it  only  two  months  ago  that  she  had  followed 
the  same  road  into  the  unknown,  curious  and  interested 
as  a  child  ?  To-day  she  went  where  it  led,  happy  and 
content,  and  ambitious  too.  She  realized  that  it  was 
not  child's  play  that  awaited  her  this  time  at  the  end 
of  the  road;  it  was  woman's  work — ^But  she  welcomed 
it  for  she  had  become  a  woman. 


CHAPTER  XI 

The  glow  of  success  at  having  gained  the  victory 
over  Joyce  in  such  an  unexpected  way,  the  realization 
of  being  herself  a  homesteader,  with  all  the  respon- 
sibilities and  opportunities  which  that  title  conferred 
gave  Harry  a  new  interest  in  the  hard  work  of  the 
succeeding  months.  Winter  came  early  and  stayed 
late  up  there  in  the  foothills  and  before  the  snow  be- 
gan to  fall  in  November  a  great  deal  must  be  done. 

Most  important  of  all  was  the  building  of  the  house. 
Within  six  months  after  filing  on  land  each  homesteader 
must,  in  the  language  of  the  law,  "establish  a  resi- 
dence." Fortunately  the  section  line  between  Harry's 
hundred  and  sixty  and  Eob's  ran  just  east  of  the  stream 
and  so,  by  placing  the  two  fourteen-foot  cabins  to- 
gether with  this  line  between  them,  a  very  fair-sized 
house  would  result 

Rob  had  figured  that,  with  Harry's  help,  he  could 
get  the  house  up  in  a  month.  He  had  planned  to  build 
it  during  October  between  harvesting  and  threshing. 
He  had  already  engaged  to  work  for  the  ranchers  down 
^  on  the  flat  with  their  hay  and  grain,  and  furthermore 
he  had  taken  a  job  feeding  stock  for  the  winter  at  Stone 
Bridge,  a  new  settlement  up  the  river. 

But  now  Harry  must  be  included  in  the  winter's 
plans.     A  few  months  earlier  this  would  have  been 

135 


HOMESTEAD  EANCH 

a  serious  consideration,  as  the  only  thing  she  could 
do  by  which  she  could  earn  her  living  sufficiently  well 
was  teaching,  and,  as  has  been  said,  she  had  had  to 
give  up  that  work  because  of  eyestrain.  But  six 
months  of  desert  life  had,  in  addition  to  broadening 
her  ideas,  restored  the  natural  vigor  of  her  eyesight. 
The  complete  rest  from  school  work,  the  change  from 
living  in  close  rooms,  from  narrow,  close-built  streets, 
and  moving  crowds,  to  working  out  of  doors  with  the 
wide  horizon  and  silent  spaces  of  the  hills  around  her 
had,  in  fact,  given  her  more  vigor  than  she  had  ever 
had  and  she  felt  more  fit  than  ever  to  teach. 

Here,  of  course,  another  difficulty  arose.  Teachers 
would  have  been  engaged  for  all  district  schools  by  the 
time  Eob  and  Harry  should  be  ready  to  leave  the  ranch. 
They  talked  the  situation  over  and  decided  that  an 
advertisement  in  the  Prairie  Despatch  would  reach  the 
most  remote  hamlets;  those  where  lay  the  probable 
chances  of  finding  a  vacancy.  If  this  failed,  Harry 
could  go  out  with  Rob  to  cook  for  the  threshing  crews 
and,  when  that  work  ended,  board  in  Stone  Bridge 
through  the  winter. 

Having  settled  this,  Kob  went  down  to  help  Robin- 
son put  up  his  second  cutting  of  alfalfa  and  Harry 
spent  the  week  irrigating  their  alfalfa  and  the  garden. 
They  had  put  in  a  quarter  of  an  acre  of  potatoes  with 
the  intention  of  having  enough  both  for  their  own 
use  the  following  spring  and  summer  and  for  selling 
to  the  ranchers  down  on  the  flat  where  late  frosts 
usually  nipped  the  garden  patches. 

136 


HOMESTEAD  EANCH 

Harry's  advertisement  was  to  appear  in  that  Sat' 
urday's  D'CS'patoh,  so  naturally  there  was  no  report  from 
it  when  Rob  came  up  to  spent  Sunday.  But  the  follow- 
ing week  he  brought  a  letter  from  the  trustees  of  a 
mountain  hamlet  and,  more  important,  word  from 
Mrs.  Robinson  that  her  husband's  sister  living  up  at 
Stone  Bridge,  had  written  that  their  teacher  was  going 
to  be  married  and  they  were  wondering  where  to  find 
another. 

Harry,  of  course,  rode  out  with  Rob  on  Monday, 
taking  her  diploma  and  a  letter  of  recommendation 
from  the  principal  of  the  school  in  the  East  where  she 
had  taught.  She  was  obliged  to  pass  an  examination 
before  being  allowed  to  teach  in  Idaho,  but  she  did 
that  satisfactorily  and  it  was  not  difficult  for  the  school 
board  to  believe  in  her  general  fitness  for  the  work — 
if  "work"  it  could  be  called — she  reflected  after  seeing 
the  textbooks  and  the  fifteen  children  who  were  to  be 
her  pupils. 

The  winter's  work  being  thus  happily  settled  for 
them,  Harry  and  Rob  gave  their  attention  to  the  new 
house.  He  hauled  the  lumber  at  odd  times  between 
haying  and  harvesting  and  on  the  first  of  October  came 
home  with  a  last  load  of  nails,  shingles,  windows  and 
building  paper,  ready  to  begin  work. 

The  building  of  that  "prove-up  shack,"  as  Rob  would 
call  it,  was,  next  to  Harry's  coming  into  Idaho,  the  most 
significant  event  in  her  life.  All  her  traditions  had 
built  the  conviction  that  a  home  must  be  something  more 
than  a  weatherproof  box  containing  the  number  of 

137 


HOMESTEAD  RAI^CH 

cubic  feet  required  by  the  homestead  law  and  lighted 
bj  one  window  two  and  a  half  feet  square. 

"I  can't,  I  won't  live  in  a — a  shack  like  some  I've 
seen,"  she  protested;  "board  walls  so  full  of  splinters 
you  could  curry  a  horse  against  them  and  nothing  but 
a  row  of  nails  for  a  closet.  Why  isn't  it  just  as  cheap 
to  make  a  pretty  cottage  of  the  same  amount  of  wood  ?" 

"Why,  isn't  it  just  as  cheap  to  make  a  lace  veil  as 
a  flour  sack?  They're  both  made  of  cotton  thread. 
I've  figured  on  spending  one  month's  time  and  about 
two  hundred  dollars  cash  on  this  dwelling,  i^ow  if 
you  can  show  me  where  any  style  can  be  worked  in  for 
that  sum  of  money  and  labor — don't  forget  the  labor — 
go  ahead  and  make  your  plan." 

This  somewhat  discouraging  permission  was  quite 
enough  for  Harry.  A  flood  of  sketches  including  dor- 
mer windows,  pergolas,  verandas  and  colonial  chimneys 
was  the  result  offered  for  Eob's  consideration. 

"[N'ow  if  I  were  an  architect  and  you  had  a  million 
dollars  to  spend  we'd  show  these  old  timers,  wouldn't 
we  ?"  he  laughed.  But  nevertheless,  he  did  try  to  adapt 
his  material  to  the  spirit  of  Harry's  wishes. 

The  eaves  of  the  steep,  gabled  roof  hung  low;  there 
were  windows  wherever  a  free  wall  space  allowed — • 
big  windows  that  gave  the  plain  rooms  a  set  of  ever- 
changing  pictures  of  prairie  and  mountains.  There 
was  even  a  little  porch  before  the  door — ^that  door  built 
of  planks,  studded  with  nail-heads  and  twice  the  width 
of  the  ordinary  mill-work  door,  "so  that  when  we  get 

138 


HOMESTEAD  EANCH 

our  piano,  it  will  be  easy  to  bring  it  inside,"  explained 
Harry. 

"You  must  be  figuring  on  making  money,  real 
money,"  Eob  teased. 

Harry  could  not  tell  him  bow  tbe  slow  raising  of  that 
house  had  lifted  her  to  the  sight  of  still  wider  horizons. 
But  every  board  she  helped  to  lay  in  place,  every  nail 
she  drove  fastened  her  more  firmly  to  this  new  land, 
strengthened  her  will  to  succeed.  As  she  and  Rob 
worked  they  talked,  planning  endless  improvements  to 
be  made  as  they  should  prosper.  The  desire  for  those 
things  stirred  them  to  toil  happier  than  many  pleas- 
ures. 

Rob  did  not  finish  the  house,  there  was  too  much  else 
to  be  done;  a  horse  shed  to  be  run  up,  firewood  to  be 
cut  and  hauled  in  readiness  for  the  following  spring, 
the  channel  of  the  stream  that  ran  close  to  the  house  to 
be  deepened  and  widened  with  the  slip,  so  that  when 
the  snow  water  came  down  in  the  spring  break-up  it 
would  not  overflow  into  their  new  cellar,  or  swirl  a  pile 
of  stones  from  the  hillside  into  the  garden. 

They  left  the  gathering  of  the  stove  wood  to  the  last ; 
freezing  ground  would  not  make  sagebrush  any  harder 
to  cut  and  haul.  They  were  getting  the  wood  in  a 
coulee  about  a  mile  east  of  Harry's  hundred  and  sixty 
where  there  were  plenty  of  willows  and  the  sagebrush 
grew  big  and  thick. 

It  was  a  cold  N'ovember  afternoon  when,  as  they 
were  loading  the  last  wagonful,  they  saw  coming  in 


130 


HOMESTEAD  RANCH 

along  the  trail  a  team  hauling  lumber  and  a  mountain 
wagon. 

"Well!  What  do  jou  know  about  that,"  Kob  ex- 
claimed; "looks  like  some  one's  filed  here.  I'd  better 
go  over  and  see." 

Harry  watched  in  a  stir  of  eager  curiosity.  Home- 
steaders !  That  would  mean  neighbors.  A  procession 
of  possibilities  swept  through  her  mind. 

The  three  men  talked  for  five  minutes  or  so,  then 
Eob  came  back. 

"Homesteaders  all  right,"  he  announced,  "an  old 
man  named  Eldredge  and  his  wife.  The  young  fellow 
is  a  real  estate  man  from  Shoshone  who's  locating  them. 
Eldredge  is  only  going  to  put  up  his  shack  this  fall 
and  then  go  back  east — ^he's  from  Missouri — and  came 
put  in  the  spring  with  his  wife." 

"How  jolly  to  have  neighbors,"  Harry  beamed.  "I 
hope  they've  some  children?" 

"JSTary  one.  Just  Darby  and  Joan.  But  she'll  be 
another  woman  for  you  to  exchange  flower  seeds  with 
and  have  a  tryout  as  to  which  can  make  the  best  cake. 
Isn't  that  what  you've  been  wanting?" 

"You  seem  to  be  pleased  yourself.  It'll  give  you 
fresh  material  to  tease  me  with." 

"Fine!  I  didn't  expect  you'd  see  that  so  quickly. 
Too  bad  we'll  have  to  wait  until  next  spring  to  start 
the  fun." 

"Oh,  I  don't  know.  By  the  time*  you've  helped  feed 
a  hundred  head  of  cattle  and  cleaned  the  corral  for  a 

140 


HOMESTEAD  EANCH 

month  you'll  forget  there  is  such  a  thing  as  a  joke  or 
Die  to  be  tormented." 

Harry's  prediction  hit  the  mark. 

All  through  the  winter  she  and  Rob  did  not  talk 
together  once  a  week.  He  was  at  work  in  the  morning 
before  she  left  for  school  and  in  the  evening  after 
nodding  a  few  moments  over  the  paper  he  rolled  off  to 
bed. 

Harry,  herself,  gave  little  thought  to  anything  be- 
yond her  work.  As  soon  as  she  began  teaching,  all  the 
interest  and  pleasure  which  she  had  taken  in  it  before 
revived  with  an  ardor  to  kindle  the  most  indifferent 
child.  She  had  been  cut  off  so  abruptly  from  her  com- 
panionship with  girls  that  her  heart  was  still  a  little  bit 
sore  from  the  tearing  loose  of  old  bonds.  Also,  she  had 
been  in  her  new  environment  just  long  enough  to  feel, 
beneath  the  material  interests  and  excitement  of  new 
work  and  prospects,  the  ache  of  loneliness  for  friends. 
In  her  six  months  of  wilderness  life  she  had  made  the 
acquaintance  of  enough  people  to  realize  with  startling 
emphasis  how  frankly  dishonest  and  also  what  crudely 
and  unassumingly  good  pioneers  men  and  women  are. 
With  senses  alert  for  such  things  she  saw  what  school 
life — all  too  short  for  these  sturdy  workers — might  be 
made  to  mean. 

That  flow  of  warm  good  will  helped  to  carry  her  far 
over  the  difficult  beginning,  for  it  was  hard  at  the  start. 
Her  pupils  were  of  all  ages  from  six  to  fifteen  and  of 
as  many  dispositions.     All,  of  course,  were  suspicious 

141 


HOMESTEAD  RANCH 

of  the  new  teacher  who  had  supplanted  the  one  they 
knew. 

"They  look  at  me,"  Harry  reflected,  inwardly  amused, 
"as  I  might  view  a  boa  constrictor  coiled  in  a  college 
professor's  chair.  If  they  only  knew  how  much  that 
is  interesting  a  boa  constrictor  could  tell  them!  Well, 
I'll  show  them  how  I'm  not  like  one — ^Attention, 
please !" 

She  smiled  at  them  as  they  turned,  surprised,  on 
their  way  to  the  door.  (It  was  Eriday  afternoon  and 
they  were  in  a  hurry  to  be  off.)  "You  are  all  invited 
to  meet  me  here  to-morrow  evening  at  seven  o'clock," 
she  went  on,  "girls  please  wear  aprons  as  we  are  going 
to  make  candy.  That'll  show  them  I'm  half  human," 
she  added  to  herself,  watching  the  faint  start  of  sur- 
prise that  went  through  them,  followed  by  smiles  and 
murmured  thanks. 

That  was  a  good  beginning  even  though  between  be- 
ginning and  finishing  may  be  a  hilly  road.  But  it 
was  Harry's  belief  that  every  one  loved  adventure, 
every  one  dreamed  of  romantic  deeds  with  himself  the 
hero.  Erom  this  she  had  decided  that  every  one  would 
work  and  study  with  gusto  if  the  task  were  skillfully 
presented  to  the  imagination  as  a  living,  pulsing  part 
of  the  great  romance — life.  But  the  theories  which 
she  had  evolved  while  teaching  carefully  reared  girls 
from  well-to-do  families  was  not  certain  to  fit  all  cases. 
The  first  month  at  Stone  Bridge  district  school  was 
destructive  to  all  theories  and  nearly  baffled  her. 

Such  unexpected  work  she  had:  to  make  children 
142 


HOMESTEAD  EANCH 

wash  their  faces  and  hands;  to  make  and  enforce  the 
rule  that  handkerchiefs  were  to  be  universally  carried ; 
to  watch  those  who  came  in  thin  shoes  through  the 
snow  and  rain  and  make  them  dry  their  feet ;  to  see  that 
certain  big  boys  did  not  filch  the  lunches  from  certain 
small,  timid  ones;  and  to  watch  that  pencils,  erasers, 
colored  crayons  and  other  small  belongings  were  not 
carried  off  by  those  to  whom  they  did  not  belong. 
Also,  she  bought  mittens  and  scarfs  for  two  small  chil- 
dren of  a  hard-drinking  saAvyer  at  the  lumber  mill, 
and  acquired  the  habit  of  carrying  something  extra 
with  her  lunch  every  day  for  the  little  girl  who  never 
had  enough. 

"And  all  the  time  I'm  learning  a  lot  from  them," 
she  realized  when  she  saw  them  settle  things  for  them- 
selves. When  red-headed  Katie  Riordan  jumped  out 
and  slapped  "Portagee  Joe"  Biane,  the  worst  boy  in 
school,  for  sticking  his  foot  out  and  tripping  little 
Lon  Fisher,  it  took  Harry's  breath  away.  She  hadn't 
been  intended  to  see  it  because  she  was  working  at  the 
board.  Not  knowing  what  to  do,  she  waited  to  think  it 
over.  In  the  meanwhile,  Joe  let  Lon  alone  and  Katie 
was  as  sweet  as  new  milk  to  every  one. 

Every  day  she  saw  things  which  made  her  bubble 
with  laughter,  ache  with  pity  and  burn  with  indig- 
nation: the  blacksmith's  three  children  who  came  to 
school  on  one  horse,  their  feet  tied  up.  in  sacks  full  of 
straw  to  keep  them  from  freezing;  Knute  Sundstron, 
who  wore  neither  socks  nor  undershirt  and  swallowed 
a  spoonful  of  sand  to  cure  indigestion,  asking  to  sit  by 

143 


HOMESTEAD  KAI^CH 

the  door  where  his  feet  might  not  get  warm  and  make 
his  chilblains  itch;  Charlie  Martin,  an  only  child  who 
loved  books  with  a  ruling  passion  but  was  not  allowed 
to  carry  them  home  from  the  school  library  because 
they  "littered  up  the  house/'  slipping  them  inside  the 
lining  of  his  overcoat  in  order  to  smuggle  them  into 
his  room ;  and  Isita  Biane,  the  sister  of  "Portagee  Joe," 
pretending  that  she  didn't  want  to  go  out  to  play  at 
noontime,  when  the  reason  was  that  she  had  no  jacket 
and  couldn't  run  or  play  in  the  man's  overcoat  in 
which  she  rode  to  school. 

Of  all  these,  amongst  all  the  children  in  school  Isita 
most  appealed  to  Harry.  She  was  a  puzzle,  too.  She 
said  she  was  fourteen  but  looked  small  for  her  age  and 
was  far  behind  the  class  she  should  have  been  in.  She 
stumbled  hopelessly  over  her  arithmetic,  could  scarcely 
write  her  name  legibly  and  yet  spoke  good  English  and 
could  read  remarkably  well. 

She  studied  earnestly,  but  at  times  Harry  would  look 
up  and  find  the  girl's  gentle,  black  eyes  on  her  with  a 
timid  steadfastness  that  stayed  with  her  after  school. 
"I  wonder  if  she  isn't  badly  treated  at  home,"  she 
pondered.  *^I'm  sure  I've  seen  bruises  on  her  face  and 
she  seems  to  be  utterly  submissive  to  that  hulking 
brother  of  hers.     I  must  try  to  make  friends  with  her." 

But  oddly  enough  this  was  something  which  she 
could  not  quite  bring  about.  She  knew  Isita  liked  her ; 
the  faint  flush  which  brightened  her  face  when  Harry 
spoke  to  her,  the  shy  answering  smile,  were  not  to  be 
mistaken.     But  there  was  a  reserve  which  met  Harry's 

144 


HOMESTEAD  KANCH 

attempts  at  active  friendlinesa  and  which  she  was  too 
well  bred  to  force.  "I'm  a  stranger  and  she  isn't  quite 
sure  of  me,"  she  decided.  "If  I  wait  she'll  come 
round."  And  then,  the  very  next  day  she  yielded  to 
a  kindly  impulse  which  had  strange  consequences. 

It  was  one  of  those  cloudless  days  in  January  when 
the  sun,  so  hot  at  midday  in  that  altitude,  shone  with 
a  terrible  brilliance  over  the  snow-draped  mountains 
and  the  white  valley.  But  a  freezing  wind  contested 
the  sun's  warmth  and  Harry  was  walking  up  and 
down  during  the  noon  recess  in  the  shelter  of  the 
building  while  the  schoolroom  aired. 

Most  of  the  children  were  playing  shadow-tag, 
shouting  and  laughing,  their  faces  scarlet  with  their 
exertions  and  the  bite  of  the  air.  Harry  paused, 
smiling  at  them,  and  suddenly  noticed  Isita,  standing 
alone  in  her  clumsy  sheepskin  coat,  watching  the 
others. 

As  at  a  hand  on  her  wrist  Harry  stiffened.  "Isita," 
she  called  lightly.     "Oh,  Isita.     Come  here  a  minute." 

The  girl  had  started  at  the  sound  of  her  name,  and 
seeing  Harry's  eyes  on  her,  a  little  flush  passed  over 
her  thin  olive  cheeks.  She  came  toward  her  teacher, 
moving  awkwardly  in  the  heavy  coat. 

"Don't  you  want  to  do  something  for  me,"  Harry 
began  in  her  quick,  easy-going  way.  "There's  a  book, 
a  new  book  just  come  from  New  York  that  I  want  to 
read  to  you  this  afternoon.  It's  up  in  my  room  over 
at  Mrs.  McCullon's.  I  want  you  to  go  over  and  get 
it  for  me.     Will  you,  dear?     I  can't  leave  these  chil- 

145 


HOMESTEAD  RANCH 

dren  and  go  myself.  You'll  find  tlie  book  on  the  table 
beside  the  bed.  It's  blue  with  gold  letters.  Tell  Mrs. 
'Mac'  I  sent  you.  Here!  Put  on  my  sweater.  You 
don't  need  that  heavy  jacket  to  run  up  the  street." 

While  she  talked  Harry  had  unbuttoned  her  sweater, 
slipped  it  off,  then,  still  smiling  into  Isita's  wonder- 
ing eyes,  she  unfastened  with  quick,  sure  hands  the 
sheepskin  coat  and  drew  it  easily  from  the  girl's 
shoulders.  Isita  had  made  a  weak  effort  of  resistance, 
drawing  back  a  little,  an  odd  look  of  fear  in  her  face ; 
but  Harry  was  so  quick,  so  sure  of  herself,  that  the 
change  was  made  before  there  was  time  to  remonstrate. 
She  had  the  thick,  warm  sweater  on  and  buttoned  round 
Isita's  chin  and  was  walking  with  her  to  the  road. 
"You've  plenty  of  time,"  she  encouraged.  "Don't 
run." 

With  the  girl's  coat  on  her  arm  she  stood  a  moment 
watching  Isita  hurry  away,  skip  a  few  steps,  then 
abruptly  break  into  running. 

"Of  course!"  Harry  said.  "She  likes  to  run  as 
much  as  anybody.  No  wonder  she  can't  play  with  this 
thing  on."  She  looked  disapprovingly  at  the  heavy, 
much-worn  canvas  "sourdough"  coat  on  her  arm. 
"She's  going  to  keep  my  sweater !  No  reason  on  earth 
why  I  shouldn't  wear  my  new  one  every  day.  What 
queer  people  the  Bianes  must  be  to  let  their  child  wear 
such  clothes.  It's  not  because  they're  poor,  either. 
Biane's  a  sheep  shearer  and  makes  good  wages.  I 
must  get  up  the  creek  to  see  Mrs.  Biane.  Teaching 
children  satisfactorily  without  knowing  their  parents 

146 


HOMESTEAD  KAJSTCH 

is  like  trying  to  furnish  a  house  by  guessing  at  it 
from  the  outside." 

It  was  getting  near  one  o'clock  and  she  went  in,  shut 
the  windows,  stirred  up  the  fire  and  came  out  to  look 
up  the  road  for  Isita  before  ringing  the  bell.  Isita 
was  almost  at  the  gate,  the  book  under  her  arm  and  a 
real  rose-color  in  her  cheeks.  Harry  watched  her,  not 
noticing  that  Joe  Biane  was  coming  from  the  opposite 
direction.  He  had  been  with  the  other  boys  to  skate 
on  the  river  and  he,  too,  had  seen  his  sister  coming. 
He  reached  the  gate  before  her  and  stood  waiting. 

Harry,  standing  in  the  porch,  saw  him  speak  to  his 
sister,  saw  the  girl  draw  back,  warding  him  off — "Why 
what  is  he  doing !"  Harry  exclaimed,  and  ran  sharply 
down  the  steps  just  as  he  snatched  the  book  from  Isita, 
threw  it  on  the  ground  and  began  pulling  off  the  jacket 
she  was  wearing. 

"Stop!  Joe  Biane — "  Quick  as  thought  the  re- 
membrance of  what  Katie  Riordan  had  done  to  this 
bully  flashed  back  to  Harry.  She  caught  him  by  the 
shoulder,  gave  him  a  shake  and  pushed  him  back. 
Her  face  was  white,  her  eyes  sparkled.  Taken  utterly 
by  surprise  Joe  made  no  attempt  to  resist.  "Pick  up 
that  book,"  Harry  ordered,  her  eyes  steadily  on  his. 

His  scowl  deepened.  "My  sister  ain't  here  to  work 
for  you,  nor  nobody,"  he  growled.  "She  ain't  wearing 
nobody's  rags,  neither.  You  take  that  off,  'Sita,  d'you 
hear?" 

"Pick  up  that  book  or  stay  after  school  for  an  hour 
every  day  this  month,"   Harry  interrupted.     "Isita, 

147 


HOMESTEAD  RANCH 

leave  that  sweater  on.  I  am  in  charge  here,  Joe  Biane. 
If  your  sister  goes  on  an  errand  for  me,  that  is  my 
affair  and  hers.  Go  inside  and  take  your  seat  and 
don't  say  another  word.  Thank  you,  Isita,  for  going 
after  this.  That  little  run  did  you  good.  TU  have  to 
think  up  excuses  to  get  you  out  every  day."  She 
smiled  as  she  said  it,  gave  a  little  pat  to  the  girl's 
shoulder  and  went  back  to  the  door  to  order  the  children 
who  had  all  been  watching  and  listening  to  this  inter- 
lude, back  to  work. 

In  no  way  did  she  refer  again  to  what  had  happened. 
She  kept  them  all  smartly  at  work  during  the  afternoon 
session  and  read  them  the  first  chapter  of  Bobin  Hood 
and  His  Merry  Men  from  the  blue  book  with  gold 
letters.  When  she  dismissed  school  at  three  o'clock 
she  asked  Isita  and  Joe  to  stay. 

"Now,"  she  said  when  they  were  alone,  she,  in  a 
chair  before  the  stove,  the  brother  and  sister  facing 
her  from  the  nearest  bench.  "Now,  Joe,  I  want  first 
to  know  whether  you  are  acting  on  the  authority  of 
your  parents  to  control  Isita  during  school  hours  ?" 

Joe,  his  hands  in  his  pockets,  his  feet  stuck  out  in 
front  of  him,  slid  a  narrow  half -glance  at  Harry  and 
down  again.  "What's  that  to  you?"  he  demanded 
in  a  barely  articulate  grumble.  "You're  here  to 
teach." 

"Exactly.  And  one  of  my  first  duties  is  to  see  that 
you  children  learn  the  lessons  and  advance  in  your 
classes.     To  do  this  you  must  obey  the  rules — " 

148 


HOMESTEAD  EANCH 

"Who's  breaJiing  your  rules,"  Joe  interrupted. 
"What  rules  give  you  the  claim  on  any  of  us  to  go 
your  errands?" 

" — Must  obey  the  rules,"  Harry  continued  mildly, 
"and  one  of  the  rules  is  that  you  must  go  out  every  fair 
day  and  exercise.  If  you  don't  get  the  fresh  air  you 
can't  study.  You  know  as  well  as  I  do  that  Isita  can't 
play,  or  even  walk  well  in  that  big  heavy  coat.  And 
she  is  too  thinly  dressed  to  go  out  without  it.  I  sent 
her  for  that  book  just  for  an  excuse  to  make  her  run, 
and  gave  her  my  sweater  so  she  could  run.  It's  a 
very  nice  jacket;  fits  her  and  is  pretty  and  warm.  It 
is  my  privilege  to  give  it  to  her  if  she  will  accept  it, 
if  her  mother  has  no  objections.  You  don't  think  she 
would  object,  do  you,  Isita?" 

With  all  the  encouragement  and  kindness  she  could 
put  into  voice  and  look  Harry  turned  to  the  girl. 
To  her  surprise  Isita,  very  pale,  looked  down  at  her 
hands  and  said:  "I  guess  I'd  better  not  take  it.  Miss 
HoUiday.     Thank  you,  just  the  same." 

Harry  felt  her  blood  quicken  indignantly  at  this,  to 
her,  unreasoning  suspicion  of  a  friendly  deed.  "Just 
as  you  think  best,"  she  acquiesced;  "but  you  must 
wear  something  suitable  to  go  out  in  during  recess." 

Joe  laughed.  "You  needn't  worry  about  her,"  he 
said.     "She's  used  to  a  whole  lot  you  couldn't  stand." 

In  thinking  over  the  affair  that  night  Harry  won- 
dered whether  she  had  not  made  a  big  mistake.  Ought 
she  not  to  have  ignored  everything  outside  of  Isita's 

149 


HOMESTEAD  RANCH 

actual  school  work?  "Anyhow,"  she  reminded  her- 
self, "she  knows  that  I  want  to  help  her.  It  may  be 
that  something  will  come  up  later  that  will  send  her 
to  me." 

But  such  a  hoped-for  occasion  was  not  to  happen  for 
a  long  time.  Before  the  spring  term  ended  Isita  and 
Joe  both  stopped  coming  to  school,  and  when  the  truant 
officer  hunted  for  them  the  family  had  moved  away. 
Harry  could  get  no  news  of  them  from  the  other  pupils 
and  went  back  to  the  ranch  for  the  summer  without  a 
prospect  of  seeing  Isita  again. 

In  the  rush  of  summer  work,  concern  for  her  school 
naturally  waned.  Moreover,  she  soon  began  to  look 
forward  with  interest  to  the  arrival  of  the  Eldredges. 
Several  times  she  went  up  to  the  little  shack  to  see 
if  they  had  come.  But  there  were  no  signs  of  any  one 
having  been  there  and  the  summer  passed  without 
bringing  them — Rob  inquired  at  the  land  office  whether 
their  filing  had  been  withdrawn,  but  nothing  of  that 
kind  had  happened. 

"Too  bad,"  said  the  clerk,  "for  somebody  else'll  sure 
file  over  them  if  they  let  the  time  go  over.  Good  land's 
getting  mighty  scarce  around  here." 

"I  shouldn't  wonder  but  what  we'd  better  file  on 
additional  homesteads,"  Rob  said,  as  he  was  telling 
Harry  what  he  had  heard ;  "I  could  take  that  long  strip 
to  the  west  and  you  could  file  on  that  swale  on  top 
of  the  hills;  you  know  that  long  meadow  just 
back  of  those  buttes?  With  a  fence  around  that  we 
shouldn't  be  bothered  so  much  with  cattle  coming  in  to 

160 


HOMESTEAD  EANCH 

water  here  when  it  gets  dry.  As  soon  as  I  can  get 
time  I  believe  I'll  go  over  that  land  and  look  for  section- 
line  comers." 

"Are  we  going  to  have  money  enough  for  all  that," 
Harry  asked :  "take  up  more  land  before  weVe  got  this 
planted?" 

"I  shouldn't  plant  all  of  this  anyway ;  haven't  water 
enough  to  irrigate  it  all.  But  I'll  need  more  grazing 
some  day  for  my  stock.  If  nothing  happens  we'll  have 
money  enough  from  this  next  winter's  work  to  fence 
it." 

'Rob  had  made  several  hundred  dollars  by  his  winter's 
work  at  Stone  Bridge  and  he  had  also  gained  valuable 
experience  in  handling  and  feeding  cattle.  Harry,  too, 
had  saved  more  than  half  her  salary  and  was  able  to  in- 
vest in  a  good  cow,  pony  and  saddle.  It  seemed  to 
both  of  them  that  they  could  not  do  better  than  go  back 
to  Stone  Bridge  for  the  next  two  winters.  They  could 
do  a  lot  of  work  on  the  place  in  the  six  months  of  the 
dry  season  and  the  money  they  made  working  out  would 
help  them  to  get  ahead  much  faster  than  two  or  three 
extra  months  on  the  ranch. 

Stone  Bridge  had,  of  course,  grown  during  the  sum- 
mer absences.  It  was  good  wheat  land  and  settlers 
were  flowing  in.  The  school  naturally  grew  as  well, 
and  the  third  winter  there  were  thirty  pupils  instead 
of  fifteen,  and  a  second  teacher. 

As  Harry  sat  listening  to  a  class  recite,  as  she  watched 
the  children  studying,  she  studied  them:  the  white- 
headed   Swedes,  the  olive-skinned  Indians,  the  Aus- 

151 


HOMESTEAD  EANCH 

trians,  Swiss,  Scotch,  Americans,  all  so  different,  all  so 
worth  while  if  one  knew  how  to  reach  them.  Teaching 
of  this  sort  was  a  bigger  thing  than  ever  it  had  seemed. 
The  mere  copiousness  of  the  so-called  practical  jokes 
that  they  played  on  each  other  was  evidence  of  the 
locked-up  energy  within  them — energy  so  soon  to  be 
harnessed  to  the  plow,  the  mill,  the  mine,  to  follow 
the  trail  from  ranch  to  forest  reserve,  to  go  wherever  the 
market  called  for  workers.  She  had  the  feeling  of 
wanting  to  shut  the  doors  and  say :  "Stay  here !  You 
haven't  begun  to  learn.  Think  of  the  books  you  ought 
to  read — "  She  stopped  herself.  "Literature!  Why 
they're  the  stuff  it's  made  of,  aren't  they  ?  and  history, 
too.  They've  already  had  hold  of  life  as  they'd  grab  a 
half-broken  cayuse  and  no  more  afraid  of  it. 

"There's  just  one  child  I  would  like  to  see  go  on 
studying,  though:  that  little  Isita  Biane.  I  could  teU 
by  the  look  in  her  eyes  that  she  wanted  to  learn.  She 
loved  it.  I  wish  I  knew  where  she  is.  If  I  could  find 
her  father  and  mother  I  wouldn't  rest  until  I'd  made 
them  understand  that  Isita  isn't  the  sort  to  do  things 
with  her  muscles.  She  could  do  more  with  her  brains, 
if  it's  money  they  want  her  to  earn." 

This  was  to  be  her  last  winter  teaching,  at  least  for  a 
time,  as  she  and  Rob  had  decided  to  stay  the  next  win- 
ter on  the  ranch  and  feed  their  own  cattle  there.  So 
she  quite  gave  up  hope  of  seeing  Isita  again.  But  be- 
fore school  closed  she  asked  the  other  teacher  who  was 
coming  back  in  the  fall  to  look  out  for  the  girl,  if  she 

152 


HOMESTEAD  RANCH 

did  turn  up,  and  make  an  effort  to  keep  her  in  school 
through  the  grades  at  least. 

And  then,  almost  the  first  person  she  saw  when  they 
went  back  to  the  ranch  was  Joe  Biane.  They  met  him 
coming  across  their  land  as  they  drove  in.  He  had  a 
gun  over  his  shoulder  and  was  carrying  several  grouse. 

''Who's  that  ?"  Rob  asked,  as  Harry  nodded  and  Joe 
touched  his  hat  and  grunted  as  he  passed. 

"That  boy  I  told  you  gave  me  so  much  trouble  in 
school.  I  wonder  what  he's  doing  up  here.  Shooting 
on  our  land,  too." 

They  looked  after  him  as  he  went  over  the  hill,  the 
sunset  light  a  dusky  red  glow  on  his  gun  barrel. 

"iN'obody  living  out  that  way,"  Rob  said.  "He  must 
be  with  some  outfit  camping  at  those  east  springs  for 
the  night." 

"I  wonder  where  the  family  is — ^following  the  old 
man  on  his  rounds  to  the  shearing  pens.     I  suppose." 

"More  likely  shacked  up  in  these  hills  somewhere,  so 
Biane  can  come  home  easy  when  he  gets  through  at  the 
nearest  shearing  corral." 

"I  believe  I'll  ride  up  east  in  the  morning  and  see  if 
they're  around  here,"  Harry  decided. 

There  they  were.  As  Harry  rounded  the  rocky 
butte  she  saw  smoke  coming  from  the  Eldredge's  aban- 
doned cabin  and  a  woman,  gathering  an  armful  of  sage- 
brush, retreated  hastily  into  the  house  at  sight  of  the 
stranger. 

"Mrs.  Eldredge!"     Harry  thought  instantly.     "But 

153 


HOMESTEAD  RAISTCH 

why  haven't  they  let  us  know  they  were  here?"  The 
smile  of  expectancy  was  on  her  face  as  she  got  down 
from  her  saddle  and  knocked  at  the  door.  The  smile 
stiffened  with  surprise  as  the  door  opened  narrowly 
and  Joe  Biane  looked  out  at  her. 

"Why,  Joe !  How—  I  thought—  Don't  the'Eldred- 
iges  live  here  ?" 

"I^ever  heard  of  'em."  Joe  was  older,  heavier,  as 
lounging  and  covertly  impertinent  as  ever. 

"Why,  they  are  the  people  who  filed  on  this  land, 
built  this  house." 

"Never  been  here,  anyhow." 

"How  long  have  you  been  here,  if  I  may  ask?  Is 
Isita  here  ?"  involuntarily,  she  glanced  behind  him  into 
ifche  house. 

"She  ain't  in  now,"  Joe  slowly  began  to  close  the 
door.     "Her'n  the  old  lady's  went  off  hunting  greens." 

"I  see."  Harry  thought  of  the  woman  gathering 
wood.  "Well,  I  wish  you'd  tell  Isita  to  come  over  and 
see  me." 

"Sure."  There  was  an  odd  gleam  in  Joe's  eye  as  he 
closed  the  door. 

"I  wonder  what  it  is  that  makes  them  so  unfriendly," 
Harry  thought  as  she  rode  home.  "But  if  they  think 
I'm  going  to  give  up  Isita  just  for  the  snubs  of  a  surly 
creature  like  Joe  they're  mistaken." 


CHAPTEE  XII 

That  more  than  Joe's  surliness  stood  between  Isita 
and  Harry,  the  latter  was  not  long  in  discovering.  She 
was  not  easily  discouraged  from  attempting  anything 
she  had  set  her  heart  on,  and  at  first  she  made  all  sorts 
of  pretexts  for  going  up  to  the  Biane's.  Sometimes  it 
was  to  carry  eggs  or  new  pieplant  or  lettuce ;  "We  have 
so  much,"  she  explained  to  the  silent,  haggard-faced  wo- 
man who  came  to  the  door;  or  it  was  a  bundle  of 
illustrated  papers  that  had  been  sent  her  from  home, 
and  she  thought  Isita  might  be  interested  in  them. 
Once  or  twice  she  asked  boldly  if  Isita  might  not  come 
down  and  stay  with  her  for  a  few  days  to  help  with  the 
chores,  while  she  was  working  outside  with  Kob.  But 
Biane  himself  made  it  plain  that  Isita  was  expected  to 
work  for  her  own  family,  and  Mrs.  Biane  avoided  see- 
ing or  talking  to  their  neighbor.  To  be  sure,  Isita 
came  down  to  the  HoUiday's,  but  it  was  to  "borrow" 
soap,  salt,  tools  and  various  other  small  neccessities  of 
which  the  shiftless  Biane  family  stood  in  need,  and  she 
was  always  in  a  nervous  hurry  to  get  back  home  and 
never  accepted  Harry's  friendliest  urging  to  stay 
awhile.  Harry  felt  sure  that  the  younger  girl  wanted 
to  be  friends,  that  in  this  lonely  land  of  vast  distances 
©ach  of  them  needed  the  other.  But  she  saw  that  Isita 
was  very  much  afraid  of  her  quiet,  smiling  tyrannical 

155 


HOMESTEAD  HAJSTCH 

father  and,  in  spite  of 'her  unmistakable  attachment  to 
Harry,  she  was  too  shy  to  talk  of  home  troubles. 

As  the  spring  days  lengthened  there  was,  too,  less 
time  for  visiting.  To  the  sagebrush  homesteader  the 
sixty  days  of  May  and  June  are  the  heart  of  the  year's 
labor  and  a  man  must  keep  things  moving  from  dawn  to 
dark,  if  he  means  to  get  ahead,  ^o  sooner  is  the  frost 
out  of  the  ground,  no  sooner  have  the  break-up  floods 
of  snow  water  run  off,  the  quaking  morass  of  meadow- 
lands  grown  solid  earth  once  more,  than  the  plow 
must  be  started.  • 

Harry  had  learned  to  handle  the  four-horse  disk  plow 
and  the  harrow  as  well,  so,  while  Rob  worked  one  team 
she  handled  the  other.  They  now  had  four  heavy  work 
horses,  besides  three  colts  that  could  be  used  off  and  on, 
and  quite  a  bunch  of  half -broke  and  young  stuff  belong- 
ing to  Owens,  which  they  worked  as  payment  for  their 
feed;  thus  there  were  few  idle  hours  while  the  spring 
drive  lasted. 

To  Harry  each  new  morning  was  a  fresh  adventure 
and  whenever  Rob  did  not  need  her  for  an  hour  or  so, 
she  explored  the  steep  sides  of  the  rocky  buttes,  the 
narrow  canons  separating  them,  and  the  tree-filled 
"draw"  behind  the  house.  Nor  was  it  altogether  care- 
less amusement  which  led  her  to  this.  She  had  dis- 
covered that  a  good  many  other  people  went  to  and  fro 
through  the  canons  and  across  the  foothills  near  by: 
surveyers,  sheepherders,  looking  for  strayed  stock,  and 
men  who  were  just  ^^going  through."  Often  these  vari- 
ous wayfarers   carried   "guns"   that  were  sometimes 

156 


HOMESTEAD  RO^CH 

rifles  but  oftener,  especially  late  in  summer,  shotguns. 
And  it  had  not  taken  Harry  long  to  discover  that  the 
men  with  shot  guns  were  after  grouse  and  sage  hen. 

From  the  time  of  her  arrival  on  the  ranch  she  had 
been  interested  in  the  wild  birds  and  had  soon  begun 
trying  to  protect  them.  Rob  had  hung  "no  shooting" 
signs  along  all  the  fences  and  already  the  birds  seemed 
to  know  that  they  were  protected  in  that  spot  and  came 
fearlessly  to  feed  in  the  alfalfa  and  close  to  the  house. 

But  even  signs  and  outspoken  orders  would  not  keep 
a  certain  class  of  game  butchers  away.  They  came 
even  before  the  season  opened,  shooting  early  in  the 
morning  and  trusting  to  the  lack  of  settlers  to  escape 
arrest.  Harry  had  several  times  driven  off  these 
poachers,  but  there  was  one  who  persisted  in  defying 
her.  That  was  Joe  Biane.  He  was  so  sly,  so  sharp, 
so  indifferent  to  all  remonstrance  or  warning  that 
Harry  realized  it  was  useless  to  threaten  with  words 
only;  if  he  would  shoot  on  her  land  he  should  be 
punished. 

She  came  to  this  decision  one  morning  in  May  when 
she  had  run  out  to  try  and  get  a  snapshot  of  a  grouse 
cock  strutting  on  the  edge  of  the  alfalfa.  She  had 
moved  cautiously  along  behind  the  currant  bushes  until 
just  within  the  right  distance  to  get  a  good  picture  and 
was  adjusting  the  camera  when  a  shotgun  cracked  in 
the  draw  above  her. 

"After  my  birds  again!"  Harry  exclaimed  indig- 
nantly. "If  it's  Joe  I  declare  I'll  go  straight  to  town 
and  fetch  the  game  warden  up  here  to  arrest  him.     Of 

157 


HOMESTEAD  EANCH 

course  he's  spoiled  my  picture,  too!''  For  the  grouse 
had  folded  his  wings  and  scuttled  out  of  sight  into  the 
willows. 

"I'll  just  go  right  along  and  see  who  that  was," 
H'arry  decided,  closing  her  camera  and  starting  up 
the  cow  path  through  the  glen. 

At  this  time  of  the  year  the  steep  sides  of  the  ravine, 
were  masked  in  the  leafage  of  quaking  asp,  thorn 
apple,  willow  and  choke  cherry,  and  it  was  next  to 
impossible  to  see  whether  the  person  shooting  was  there 
or  not. 

Harry  did  not  stop  to  explore.  She  knew  by  expe- 
rience that  it  was  farther  up  in  the  high  meadow,  a 
favorite  nesting  place  of  grouse  and  sage  hen  that  she 
was  most  likely  to  find  the  poachers.  INow,  in  her 
excitement  she  had  started  running  (Joe  should  not 
evade  her!)  but  the  path  was  steep,  the  sun  ardent, 
and  before  she  could  reach  the  meadow  she  was  out  of 
breath,  hot,  and  not  any  calmer.  In  a  final,  desperate 
effort  to  cut  across  Joe's  path  toward  home  she  swerved 
through  the  trees  and  almost  ran  over  Joe  himself. 

He  was  moving  stealthily  through  the  willows,  but 
startled  by  Harry's  unexpected  appearance,  he  stopped 
short 

"Joe !"  she  exclaimed ;  "I  thought  so." 

"You  did!"  He  laughed  mischievously.  "I  ain't 
the  only  feUa  that  takes  a  short  cut  through  here,  am 
I?" 

"You  take  it  oftenest.  Outsiders  don't  get  here 
158 


HOMESTEAD  EANCH 

quite  so  early  in  the  morning,  as  a  rule.     I  see  I'm  too 
late  to  save  my  birds,  though." 

She  pointed  indignantly  to  the  grouse  hen  that  hung 
from  Joe's  left  hand. 

Joe  looked  at  it  too.  "Pretty  nice  one,  ain't  it,"  he 
observed.     "Want  I  should  get  you  one  ?" 

"I  should  say  not!"  she  exclaimed  angrily.  "And 
what's  more,  you  may  put  that  one  down.  I've  told 
you  not  to  shoot  on  my  land,  and  I  don't  intend  to  have 
you  carry  off  the  birds  under  my  nose,  even  though  they 
are  dead.     Give  that  to  me,  please." 

She  reached  out  her  hand,  but  Joe  stepped  alertly 
back.  "This  ain't  yours,"  he  said.  He  was  no  longer 
smiling;  instead  he  eyed  her  sullenly,  a  cruel  expres- 
sion on  his  handsome  face.  Harry  remembered  that 
he  had  looked  at  her  just  so  the  day  he  had  tried  to  pull 
her  sweater  from  Isita.  "Everybody's  got  a  right  to 
the  wild  critters,"  he  added.  "Besides,"  glancing 
covertly  at  Harry,  "I  was  gettin'  this  because  Isita  likea 
'em." 

For  a  second  Harry  faltered.  The  picture  of  the! 
younger  girl,  thin,  tired-looking,  unmistakably  under- 
fed came  before  her.  But  even  as  she  started  to  yieldy 
her  indignation  flamed  again.  "Oh,  well,  if  it's  for 
Isita,"  she  answered  with  affected  surprise,  "give  it  to 
me.  I'll  take  it  home  and  cook  it,  and  you  tell  your 
sister  I've  invited  her  down  to  dinner." 

"Not  much,"  Joe  answered  shortly.  "We  don't  beg 
a  meal  off 'n  any  one." 

1^59 


HOMESTEAD  EANCH 

"An  invitation  isn't  begging;  but  never  mind.  If 
you're  as  anxious  as  you  say  to  please  your  sister,  go 
put  your  time  into  plowing  and  planting;  then  you 
won't  have  to  depend  on  a  tough  grouse  ben  for  dinner." 

Her  eyes  went  again  to  tbe  limp,  feathered  form, 
the  bloodstained  breast. 

"Such  stupid  cruelty!"  she  exclaimed.  "To  shoot 
the  hens  at  this  season  when  it  means  a  nestful  of  young 
ones  left  to  starve." 

"Aw!"  Joe  growled  contemptuously  and  began  to 
walk  away.  "What's  that  to  you  ?  You  ain't  running 
this  country,  so  f  ar's  I  know,  and  you  ain't  a  goin'  to 
Btop  me  gettin'  a  sage  hen.     I'll  shoot  when  I  like." 

"!N"ot  on  my  land,"  she  warned  him.  "Remember, 
Joe,  I've  told  you  to  keep  out.  N'ext  time  I'll  bring 
the  game  warden  up  here  and  have  you  arrested." 

He  laughed  mockingly,  his  face  darkening.  "You'll 
do  a  whole  lot,"  he  sneered ;  "just  like  you  tried  down 
at  the  school.  But  Isita  didn't  run  any  more  of  your 
errands  and  she  didn't  wear  your  sweater.     Did  she?" 

"Because  your  father  took  her  out  of  school  and 
moved  out  of  that  district  is  no  proof  that  what  I  did 
was  wrong." 

"What  do  I  care  for  your  'methods'  ?  I'll  get  even 
with  you  if  you  try  any  of  your  bossing  on  me.  Better 
watch  out,  Miss-  Schoolmarm." 

Harry  looked  after  him  as  he  disappeared  in  the 
willows.  "Such  people!"  she  exclaimed  with  sparkling 
eyes  and  clenched  hands.  "They  are  a  menace  to  the 
country." 

1^0 


HOMESTEAD  KANCH 

She  broke  off  with  a  start  and  turned.  While  she 
had  been  talking  with  Joe  a  man  on  horseback  had 
come  over  the  ridge  and  crossed  the  meadow.  As  she 
turned,  the  rider,  who  had  drawn  rein  and  was  looking 
down  at  her  with  interest,  touched  his  hat.  Harry's 
cheeks  reddened  as  she  explained  what  had  happened. 

"Get  the  law  on  him,  like  you  threatened,"  the  stran- 
ger advised.  "That'll  learn  him.  It  ain't  good  busi- 
ness not  to  stick  up  for  your  rights." 

"It's  not  only  my  rights,  it's  the  birds'  rights  I'm 
fighting  for,  and  unfortunately  Joe  is  not  the  only  one 
who  needs  teaching.  In  spite  of  signs  all  round  our 
fence  the  hunters  come  right  inside  and  shoot.  I  did 
think  Westerners  were  more  honorable." 

At  her  warmth  the  man  laughed  quietly.  It  was  a 
sort  of  laughter  that  fitted  his  comfortable  appearance ; 
middle-aged,  bearded,  with  the  mildly  decisive  manner 
of  a  person  used  to  giving  orders.  His  fine  saddle 
horse  and  saddle,  yet  plain  dress,  showed  him  to  be  a 
man  familiar  with  the  ways  of  that  country.  He  made 
an  instant  impression  upon  the  girl.  She  was  too 
frank  and  guileless  to  recognize  that  under  the  smooth- 
ness of  his  manner  were  hard  purpose  and  a  hidden 
threat  for  any  one  who  crossed  him. 

"You're  from  the  East,  then?"  he  asked. 

"From  Connecticut  I  came  out  three  years  ago  to 
stay  with  my  brother,  Robert  HoUiday." 

"Yes.  Of  <^urse.  Joyce  told  me  that  Holliday 
had  a  ranch  up  this  way.  Ludlum's  my  name.  I  live 
down  in  the  lower  country  at  the  siding." 

161 


HOMESTEAD  RANCH 

Harry  knew  who  Ludlum  was — the  stockman  who 
shipped  twice  as  many  cattle  as  any  other  man  living 
on  the  railway  line.  A  new  town  had  grown  up  around 
the  station  that  had  heen  put  in  to  accommodate  himJ 

"Don't  you  get  lonesome  up  in  these  hills,  young* 
lady  ?"     Ludlum  inquired. 

"Not  very.  There's  too  much  to  do.  All  summer 
there's  work  on  the  place  and  every  winter  I've 
taught  school  down  on  the  flat." 

"Saving  up  to  get  you  an  auto  ?"  asked  the  stockman 
with  a  laugh. 

"Saving  up  for  cattle,"  Harry  replied. 

"So !  You're  going  into  stock,  are  you  ?  I  thought 
all  the  ranchers  up  here  on  the  prairie  were  grain 
crazy." 

"Most  of  them  are ;  but  my  brother  says  the  money  is 
in  feeding  what  you  raise.  'Ship  it  on  the  hoof,  not  in 
the  sack'  is  his  motto." 

"And  a  mighty  good  one,  too.  Those  your  cows 
down  yonder  ?" 

He  was  leaning  on  his  saddle  horn,  pointing  down 
the  draw.  From  where  they  stood  they  could  look 
between  the  steep,  rocky  walls  of  the  buttes  upon  a  won- 
derful picture  of  the  ranch,  narrow,  but  immensely 
long.  Beginning  with  the  garden  on  the  upper  end  of 
the  slope  below  the  glen,  it  widened  as  it  descended, 
taking  in  the  green-blinded  white  cottage  with  its  porch 
and  young  shade  trees,  the  corral  with  its  long  stock 
sheds,  the  deep-green  alfalfa,  the  emerald  of  winter 
wheat,  the  shaded  browns  of  fall-plowed  earth  and, 

162 


HOMESTEAD  EAE^CH 

across  the  creek,  the  tossing  sea  of  scab  land,  the  flat  of 
Camas  Prairie  and  the  mountains.  To  complete  it, 
strung  out  along  the  creek,  was  Rob's  bunch  of  cattle. 
Harry  felt  very  proud  of  them.  On  the  very  day  of 
her  arrival  in  Idaho  Rob  had  bargained  for  a  little 
bunch  of  heifers.  They  were  now  cows  with  their 
calves  beside  them,  and  in  her  mind's  eye  Harry  always 
saw  them  multiplied  a  hundred-fcrld,  into  the  herd 
they  were  working  for. 

"That  ain't  all  you've  got,  is  it  ?"  asked  Ludlum. 

"That's  all,"  admitted  Harry,  and  felt  suddenly 
how  small  a  herd  of  forty  head  must  look  to  the  stock- 
man. In  a  country  where  everything  ran  in  big  num- 
bers, from  the  miles  that  you  lived  from  the  post  office 
to  the  feet  of  snow  and  degrees  below  zero,  it  sounded 
"small  farmerish"  to  have  so  few  heads  of  stock. 

"You've  got  the  right  sort  of  place  for  a  stock  ranch," 
Ludlum  told  her.     "Have  you  proved  up  yet  ?" 

"We  have  on  the  original  hundred  and  sixties;  but 
we've  filed  on  additional  homesteads.  We'll  prove  up 
on  those  next  spring.  That  will  give  us  six  hundred 
and  forty  acres;  about  half  of  it  seeded — pasture  and 
hay.  We  plan  to  stay  in  here  this  winter.  We've  both 
saved  up  some  money,  and  it  looks  as  if  we  were  going 
to  have  plenty  of  hay." 

"You've  thought  it  all  out  ahead,  I  see,"  Ludlum 
said,  with  a  sort  of  surprised  admiration.  Eor  "ten- 
derfoot" Easteners  Holliday  and  hia  sister  seemed  very 
practical  and  businesslike. 

An  idea  swung  slowly  round  into  his  thoughts.     He 

163 


HOMESTEAD  KANCH 

was  silent  for  a  moment  as  lie  gazed  down  at  the  ranch. 

"Why  don't  you  get  a  bigger  herd  to  start  with?" 
he  asked  presently.  "There's  lots  of  money  in  cattle 
nowadays,  but  it's  slow  making  it  when  you  start  so 
small." 

"Of  course ;  but  we  haven't  the  capital  to  start  a  big 
herd,  and  my  brother  doesn't  believe  in  mortgaging." 

"That's  a  good  principle,  generally ;  but  taking  cattle 
on  time  is  different.  Your  herd  increases  so  fast  that 
you're  making  fifteen  or  twenty  per  cent,  instead  of 
four  or  five.  Supposing,  say,  you  were  to  borrow  off  a 
stockman  like  me.  Say  I  make  over  a  hundred  head 
of  stock — ^white-face,  good  beef  critters,  you  understand 
'■ — and  you  have  hay  to  feed  up  into  the  spring.  Then 
you  could  figure  like  this." 

Fascinated,  convinced  in  spite  of  herself,  Harry 
listened  while  Ludlum  rapidly  sketched  the  problem, 
the  profit  and  loss,  the  complete  working,  so  it  seemed 
to  the  girl,  of  a  stock  ranch.  He  made  Eob's  little 
bunch  of  cows  appear  almost  contemptibly  unimpor- 
tant. After  all,  it  appeared  to  be  just  as  she  had  be- 
lieved: if  you  had  energy,  confidence  and  common 
sense,  you  were  virtually  sure  of  succeeding.  Eob's 
idea  of  poking  along  for  years,  collecting  a  heifer  here 
and  there  on  the  way,  was  hopelessly  wrong  and  un- 
necessary. 

An  impulse  moved  her  to  speak.  "Won't  you  come 
down  to  the  house  now  and  talk  to  Eob  ?"  she  begged. 
"He's    off    plowing,    but    he'll    be    in    for    dinner. 

164 


HOMESTEAD  RA]^CH 

I'm  sure  you  could  convince  him  that  your  plan  is  a 
sound  one  for  us.'' 

"I'd  be  glad  to,"  Ludlum  answered,  gathering  up 
his  reins,  'H^ut  I'm  on  my  way  to  the  reserve  to  look  at 
the  pasture.  If  it'll  be  agreeable,  I'll  stop  a  few  days 
later  on  my  way  back." 

"We'll  always  be  glad  to  see  you,"  Harry  responded 
cordially.  "Meanwhile  I'll  tell  my  brother  what 
you've  told  me  about  making  money  with  cattle." 

"So  that's  Holliday's,"  Ludlum  said  to  himself  as  he 
rode  on.  "Joyce  told  me  it  was  the  best  location  round 
here.  Eunny  how  these-here  suckers  think  they  can 
come  along  any  time  they  like  and  shut  us  old-timers 
out  of  every  good  water  hole  in  the  country!  H'm! 
Well,"  he  remarked  presently  as  if  finishing  a  silent 
argument,  "the  way  it  stands  suits  me  first-rate.  A 
year  from  July,  say,  I'd  be  able  to  feed  a  big  bunch  of 
stock  in  there." 


CHAPTEE  XIII 

After  her  talk  with  Ludlum,  Harry  went  back  to 
the  house  exulting.  At  last  some  one  who  could  speak 
with  authority  had  come  to  advise  them;  yes,  and  to 
help  them,  too.  In  Ler  happy  optimism  she  regarded 
Ludlum's  brief  array  of  facts  and  figures  as  the  formula 
for  turning  their  labor  into  a  stream  of  gold. 

She  spent  the  forenoon  in  bursts  of  energetic  house- 
work and  in  watching  for  Eob.  She  was  wild  with 
impatience  to  tell  him  of  Ludlum's  plan  for  them. 
Even  the  little  house  where  they  had  heretofore  lived 
so  contentedly  seemed  suddenly  cramped  and  outgrown. 
Yet  it  was  a  far  better  house  than  many  wealthier 
ranchers  owned,  a  better  one  than  Eob  himself  had 
expected  to  build. 

Absorbed  in  her  plans  for  the  future,  Harry  forgot 
to  watch  the  clock  and  was  surprised  to  hear  feet 
thumping  up  the  steps  and  to  hear  Eob's  voice  saying : 

"Come  ahead  in,  Garnett." 

"Gamett !  You  don't  mean  it !''  With  an  ex- 
clamation of  delight  Harry  turned. 

"Looks  like  I  never  did  get  the  chance  to  send  and 
ask  you  would  it  be  agreeable  to  have  me  call  in." 
Garnett,  tall,  sandy-haired  with  freckles  across  his  nose, 
looked  at  Harry  with  a  twinkle  in  his  blue  eyes  that 
laughed  even  when  his  face  was  serious. 

166 


HOMESTEAD  RAIsrCH 

"I'll  forgive  you  this  time/'  said  Harry,  smiling  back 
at  him.  "It's  months  since  we've  seen  you.  We'd 
begun  to  wonder  what  we'd  done." 

"You've  done  a  heap,"  said  Gamett,  with  an  ad- 
miring glance  at  the  sink  and  pump,  which  Rob  had 
added  when  he  piped  the  water  from  the  spring.  "You 
don't  charge  for  drinks  now,  account  of  the  new  fixings, 
do  you  ?"  he  asked,  picking  up  a  cup. 

"Yessir.  Forty  cents  the  demitasse,"  said  Eob, 
returning  from  his  refreshing  splash  at  the  wash  bench. 
"Freight  rates  are  high  west  of  the  Rockies,  remember." 

"Can't  you  hang  me  up  this  time?  I'm  so  dry  I 
can't  tell  you  the  news." 

"Depends  on  what  it  is,"  said  Rob.  "We  got  the 
mail  two  weeks  ago,  so  you  can't  fool  us  with  anything 
stale." 

"I  reckon  I  might's  well  move  on,  then.  Like  I 
told  you,  I'm  due  up  in  the  timber  right  now.  Prob'ly 
scrappin'  up  there  already  'long  of  those  cattle." 

Harry  turned  quickly  from  the  stove  where  she  was 
"dishing  up."     "What  cattle  ?" 

"Why,  the  stranger  cattle  that  have  been  shipped 
in.  I  thought  you  knew  about  them.  What's  the  use 
of  Rob's  goin'  for  the  mail  so  often  if  he  don't  pick  up 
the  home-brewed  news  that's  layin'  out  in  the  street 
over  to  Soldier  ?" 

"Gamett,  stop  teasing,  do!"  Harry  pleaded,  as  they 
drew  up  to  the  table.     "Whose  cattle  are  they  ?" 

"I  don't  know,"  Gamett  said.  "Everybody's  got 
it  different.     To  hear  Rudy  Batts  talk  you'd  think  a 

167 


HOMESTEAD  RANCH 

thousand  devils  had  been  turned  loose  on  his  land ;  but 
then,  they  cleaned  up  Rudy's  winter  wheat,  just  about, 
so  it's  natural  he's  feelin'  disturbed." 

"But  Rudy  Batts'  ranch  is  up  Soldier  Creek,"  Harry 
interrupted,  "and  I  thought  you  said  these  cattle  were 
in  the  forest." 

"They  are  by  now,  but  the  varmints  were  shipped 
in  by  rail  to  Soldier,  to  the  ^Idaho  Cattle  Company,' 
whoever  that  is ;  and  their  riders  drove  'em  up  through 
the  creek  canon  on  the  way  to  the  forest.  Bein'  what 
they  are,  scrubs  mostly,  starved  to  death  all  winter  and 
breachy  from  the  start,  they  didn't  stop  to  ask  for 
the  wire  nippers  when  they  came  to  fenced  grain ;  just 
went  right  through  or  over  and  cleaned  up  inside. 
That's  how  I  got  to  hear  about  it.  Everybody  in 
Soldier's  askin'  who  owns  the  critters.  Some  think 
it's  a  bunch  of  bankers  down  round  Shoshone  that 
saw  beef  was  goin'  up  and  wanted  to  get  in  on  the 
profit.  And  say !  I  wish  I  had  a  little  bunch  of  beef 
critters  to  be  eatin'  the  pasture  off  these  hills. 
Wouldn't  I  make  all  kinds  of  money  ?" 

Harry's  heart  leaped.  ITow  was  her  chance.  "Do 
you  really  think  there  would  be  money  in  it?"  she 
asked  eagerly.     "For  Rob  and  me  for  instance?" 

"Do  I!  There's  so  much  in  it  that  I  know  I'm  a 
fool  not  to  give  up  my  job  in  the  service  and  get  me  a 
herd.  I  would,  too,  if  I  hadn't  rented  my  eighty 
down  on  the  South  Side  on  shares  to  Pablo  Carriero, 
a  Portagee.  He's  got  it  up  to  November,  and  you  bet 
I'm  not  going  to  lease  again." 

168 


HOMESTEAD  KANCH 

"But  you  could  buy  a  few  head,  couldn't  you?" 
Harry  asked  quickly.  "You'll  have  one  third  of  your 
hay." 

"Not  this  year.  I  told  Carrier©  to  sell  it  if  he  could, 
and  he's  given  an  option  on  it  to  that  fellow  Biane. 
But  for  you  two !  Why,  it's  as  easy  as  counting  your 
fingers  to  coin  money  this  year." 

"It  is!"  said  Kob  skeptically.  "With  steers  selling 
at  thirty  and  calves  at  fifteen,  and  me  with  only  three 
hundred  cash  in  the  bank?  Guess  again,  Christopher 
Garnett." 

"He  isn't  guessing  at  all,"  Harry  said  quickly.  "I 
heard — some  one  told  me  the  very  same  thing  this  morn- 
ing. If  we  bought  only  a  hundred  head  now,  part 
cash,  part  time " 

"Oh,  time!"  Kob  echoed.  "J^one  of  that  for  me, 
thank  you." 

"Wait,  please.  You  haven't  heard  it  all,"  Harry 
broke  in,  and  then  hurried  on  to  give  him  the  gist  of 
what  Ludlum  had  said.  "With  the  eight  hundred 
cash  we  have  between  us,"  she  ended,  "there's  no  reason 
why  we  should  not  borrow  the  rest,  buy  cattle 
and  succeed,  just  as  thousands  of  men  have  done  be- 
fore us." 

"Yes,  and  other  men  who  didn't  know  any  more  about 
it  than  we  do  have  gone  into  cattle  and  been  ruined." 

"Say,  Rob,"  Garnett  drawled,  "ain't  you  ever  heard 
of  a  man  with  one  pet  cow  havin'  her  die  on  him  ?" 

"Oh,  sure !  But  the  chances  are  ninety  per  cent  in 
his  favor,  and  if  he  does  lose  he  loses  less." 

169 


HOMESTEAD  RANCH 

"Loses  less  when  he  loses  all  he's  got!  That's  the 
first  time  I  ever  heard  that  argyment.  A  man  can 
drudge  along  and  be  safe  while  he  never  owns  more 
than  he  can  carry  to  bed  in  his  two  hands ;  but  that  ain't 
the  way  to  figure  in  this  country.  Round  up  all  you 
can  and  make  'em  rustle  for  their  livin'  while  you 
busy  yourself  seein'  that  some  other  feller's  critters 
ain't  swipin'  the  feed.  That's  the  way  to  get  rich. 
It  beats  the  pet  cow  all  hollow." 

"Of  course,"  Harry  added  earnestly.  "And  as  for 
not  borrowing,  every  one  knows  that  big  business  is 
done  on  credit." 

"Credit!"  Rob  fairly  groaned.  "I  shouldn't  care 
for  any,  as  they  say.  It  sounds  good  as  a  topic  for 
conversation,  but  I'll  bet  that's  just  the  kind  of 
argument  the  old-timers  got  happy  drunk  on  before  the 
winter  of  '89.  Ever  hear  the  Robinsons  tell  about  that 
winter,  you  two?" 

The  silence  answered  him.  Yes,  they  had  heard 
and  also  remembered.  Who  that  had  heard  could  for- 
get? First  had  come  the  June  freeze  and  then  a  dry 
summer  with  a  shortage  of  grazing.  But  no  one  had 
worried;  probably,  after  such  a  cold  summer  there 
would  be  an  open  winter.  When  all  the  grazing  was 
gone  they  would  drive  the  stock  out  to  Shoshone  and 
buy  hay.  So  they  planned.  Alas!  Before  the  graz- 
ing was  quite  gone  the  snow  came — and  stayed.  And 
while  they  waited  for  a  break  in  the  bad  weather  in 
which  to  move  out,  the  "big  snow"  came  and  shut  them 
In — shut  their  cattle  in  to  slow  starvation. 

no 


HOMESTEAD  EANCH 

As  Mrs.  Robinson  related  it  twenty-five  years  after- 
ward the  tears  streamed  down  her  cheeks.  "It  like  to 
broke  pa's  heart,"  she  said;  "him  havin'  to  set  inside 
and  watch  them  pore  dumb  critters  waitin'  to  be  fed 
and  finally  layin'  down  to  die.  Time  and  again  we 
tried  to  drive  'em  across  the  foothills  into  the  hay 
country,  but  'twa'n't  no  use.  Out  of  two  hundred  head 
all  we  saved  was  one  cow.  Every  stockman  on  the 
prairie  lost  his  herd,  and  some  was  ruined  for  good 
and  all.  We  never  went  into  another  winter  without 
hay,  I  tell  ye." 

It  was  a  cruel  experience,  but  Harry  was  not  a  per- 
son to  let  another's  misfortune  shake  her  faith  in  her 
own  enterprise.  As  she  looked  toward  her  brother  a 
characteristic  expression  came  across  her  face:  the 
expression  that  meant  obstinate,  good-natured  determi- 
nation. She  was  saying  to  herself:  "We're  not  going 
to  fail.  We're  not.  I  think  we  can  make  cattle  pay 
on  borrowed  money,  and  I'm  going  to  borrow  it." 

But  she  said  no  more  to  Rob,  for  she  felt  that  it 
was  best  to  let  him  think  the  matter  over  by  himself. 
That  he  was  doing  so  during  the  next  few  days  was 
evident  from  the  tension  in  the  air  whenever  cattle 
were  mentioned. 

She  hoped  that  Ludlum  would  come  before  the  effect 
of  Gamett's  advice  had  worn  off,  and,  as  the  days 
passed,  she  grew  uneasy.  It  was  a  relief  from  the  con- 
stant suspense  when  one  morning  Rob  asked  her  to  help 
him  round  up  his  cows.  Half  a  dozen  starved-looking 
Bteers  had  come  down  the  draw  during  the  night,  and 

171 


HOMESTEAD  EANCH 

when  he  dogged  them  off  his  own  herd  had  followed 
them. 

Harry  needed  no  urging.  With  Hob  and  Garnett  to 
teach  her  she  had  learned  to  ride  well,  and  could  even, 
with  the  help  of  'Thello,  round  up  their  own  cattle  very 
creditably.  There  was  nothing  that  she  enjoyed  more 
than  to  be  out  on  a  June  morning,  with  a  lively  horse 
beneath  her,  the  sage-scented  breeze  sweeping  past,  the 
meadow  larks  calling  across  the  sky,  the  miles  of  blue 
swale  and  the  cloud  shadows  racing  ahead  of  her.  At 
such  moments  the  horizon  was  hers ;  hers,  too,  the  splen- 
dor and  greatness  of  life. 

To-day  the  work  was  all  play.  They  had  only  to 
follow  the  fresh  traces  of  the  herd  going  south  across 
the  hills,  and  half  an  hour  of  sharp  riding  brought  them 
up  with  the  bunch.  It  took  another  half  hour  to  cut 
out  their  animals  and  turn  them  toward  home,  but  that 
was  what  Harry  enjoyed.  To  wheel  to  and  fro,  spur 
after  a  creature  that  was  dodging  to  one  side,  dash 
ahead  and  turn  the  leaders,  and  finally  send  the  whole 
string  galloping  away  with  the  thunder  of  hoofs  and 
the  chorus  of  bellowings — that  was  the  best  sport  yet. 

As  Harry  and  Kob  rode  slowly  home  they  discussed 
the  coming  of  strange  cattle  into  their  hills,  and  won- 
dered whether  they  could  be  some  of  those  that  Garnett 
had  spoken  of. 

"If  they  are,"  Eob  said,  "the  riders  will  be  along  in 
a  few  days  to  drive  them  back." 

When  they  were  halfway  down  the  draw  'Thello 
172 


HOMESTEAD  RANCH 

growled  wamingly,  and  they  saw  a  saddle  horse  stand- 
ing at  the  corral  gate. 

"Ludlum!"  flashed  into  Harry's  mind,  and  she  was 
silent  when  Rob  said  he  would  ride  ahead  and  see  who 
their  visitor  was. 

"1^11  leave  them  alone  for  a  while,"  she  said  to  her- 
self, "and  give  Ludlum  a  chance  to  talk.'^ 

She  drove  the  cows  inside  the  pasture,  then  rode 
slowly  to  the  corral  and,  putting  up  her  pony,  came  to 
the  house.  Ludlum  was  talking  in  a  tone  of  calm  as- 
surance, of  conviotion  won  by  thorougfh  knowledge 
of  the  subject.  Rob,  sitting  on  the  porch  step,  smoothed 
the  back  of  his  head  and  listened  in  silence.  Harry 
wondered  whether  that  silence  meant  that  he  was  yield- 
ing or  merely  resisting. 

Stocky,  big-muscled,  tanned  to  a  smooth,  healthy 
brown,  Robert  HoUiday  was  at  first  glance  merely  one 
of  the  many  young  fellows  who  have  gone  out  to  the  Far 
West  to  have  a  try  at  fortune.  But  three  years  of  hard 
wrestling  with  a  sagebrush  ranch  had  cleared  and 
solidified  his  boyish  visions  and  made  them  a  working 
force.  Harry  knew  that  Rob's  opinions  carried  weight 
in  the  community. 

At  her  approach  Ludlum  rose  and  held  out  his  hand. 
"Wherever  I  see  folks  as  willing  to  work  as  you  and 
your  brother.  Miss  HoUiday,  I'm  willing  to  bet  they'll 
succeed   against   any  odds.     Yes,   ma'am." 

"How  about  the  fellow  that  is  working  against  us  ?" 
asked  Rob  quietly.     "Does  he  win,  too  ?" 

173 


HOMESTEAD  RAISrCH 

"O  Bobby!  You  do  think  up  such  objections!" 
Harry  said,  with  a  laugh. 

But  Ludlum  nodded  approvingly.  "Quite  right, 
HoUiday.  A  man's  got  to  be  cautious,  especially  in  the 
cattle  business.  You'd  ought  to  be  thankful,  young 
lady,  that  you've  got  such  a  level-headed  partner  to 
work  with." 

Ludlum  commended  impartially  the  opinions  of  both 
Hob  and  Harry.  "Come  down  to  the  ranch  and  look 
things  over,"  he  said  as  he  rose  to  go,  "and  get  ac- 
quainted with  the  missus  and  our  girls  and  boys. 
Pick  out  a  bunch  of  critters,  and  make  your  own  terms. 
You'll  make  twenty  per  cent  on  your  money,  all  right." 

"Hard  work  to  come  down  to  earth  again  after  sail- 
ing round  in  Ludlum's  airship,"  Rob  commented  as 
they  watched  their  visitor  ride  away.  "He'd  make 
a  fellow  think  that  merely  driving  his  critters  on  our 
land  would  start  providence  coining  money  to  pay  for 
them  and  making  hay  to  feed  them." 

"I  don't  see  that  we  need  trust  especially  in  provi- 
dence for  hay  and  cash!"  Harry  exclaimed.  "We're 
sure  of  fifty  tons  of  alfalfa  of  our  own  this  year,  bo- 
sides  the  wheat  straw  from  fifty  acres  for  roughage; 
and  as  for  the  cash  payment  on  a  hundred  head,  haven't 
I  five  hundred  in  the  bank  and  you  have  almost  three 
hundred  ?  And  we  can  always  buy  extra  hay  on  the 
flat." 

"We're  not  sure  we  can  buy  hay ;  we're  not  sure  we'll 
put  up  fifty  tons  of  our  own.  It's  a  dry  year,  and  the 
grazing  may  go  early;  and  we're  not  past  the  chance 

174 


HOMESTEAD  KANCH 

of   a  late  frost.     It's  pure  gambling  to   take   on   a 
hundred  head  of  cattle  now." 

"ItTo  more  than  taking  the  dozen  you  bought  that 
first  year  was.  We'll  simply  never  make  a  real  clean- 
up, Hob,  if  we  never  take  a  chance.  I'd  rather  do  it 
and  maybe  lose  something — lose  my  five  hundred 
dollars — than  mosey  along  forever  on  the  safe  side." 

"Go  ahead.  If  you  think  you  can  clear  the  moon  in 
one  jump,  I  won't  put  the  hobbles  on  you.  But  be 
satisfied  with  the  moon ;  don't  try  to  take  in  the  Dipper 
and  the  Milky  Way,  too.  Take  thirty  head  if  you 
like,  from  Ludlum,  but  no  more.  We  agreed  to  run 
the  ranch  together;  and  if  you  want  to  invest  your 
earnings  in  cattle,  all  right.  I'll  ride  after  the  critters 
when  I'm  not  working  the  land,  and  if  you  put  in  half 
your  money  you  can  take  thirty  head  at  a  thousand 
dollars,  paying  down  a  quarter  cash  and  giving  a  mort- 
gage on  your  land.  That'll  leave  you  two  hundred 
and  fifty  dollars  and  me  three  hundred  to  get  through 
the  season  with." 

"Five  hundred  and  fifty  dollars !"  Harry  exclaimed. 
"Why,  Bobby,  we  could  take  more  than  thirty  easy !" 

^Well,  we're  not  going  to.  We'll  risk  something, 
but  we'll  not  risk  everything.  The  first  of  December 
there'll  be  interest  to  pay — ten  per  cent  on  seven 
hundred  and  fifty  for  six  months;  that's  thirty-seven 
and  a  half  dollars.  And  we'll  have  to  pay  something 
on  the  principal,  or  Ludlum  won't  be  likely  to  renew 
the  note,  but  I  figure  that  the  sale  from  beef  critters 
we  already  have  and  from  this  new  bunch  should  pay 

175 


HOMESTEAD  RANCH 

off  another  two  hundred  and  fifty  on  the  mortgage. 
That  is,  if  we  have  good  luck." 

A  flash  of  resentment  passed  over  Harry.  Thirty 
head  were  so  few!  Could  he  not  take  even  that  small 
number  without  saying  "if  ?  Her  feeling  of  annoy- 
ance, however,  was  soon  swept  away  in  the  discussion 
of  details  that  Rob,  with  his  usual  foresight,  insisted 
upon  before  they  should  start  the  following  morning  to 
settle  the  business  with  Ludlum. 

They  had  finished  talking  and  were  sitting  at  the 
table,  silent,  each  thinking  what  this  big  change  might 
mean  to  them.  Harry  turned  the  lamp  wick  slowly  up 
and  down ;  her  eyes  were  very  deep  and  shining  in  the 
flare  of  light.  Rob  stared  absently  at  the  paper  on 
which  he  had  been  figuring.  Out  in  the  falling  night 
a  whippoorwill  called  plaintively,  then  stopped,  and 
in  the  silence  they  heard  timid  steps  on  the  porch. 

"Who's  that  ?"  Rob  exclaimed,  going  to  the  door." 

Harry  followed  him  with  the  lamp.  Its  light  fell 
upon  the  frightened  face  of  a  young  girl. 

"Why,  it's  Isita!"  Harry  said,  in  surprise.  "Come 
in." 

But  Isita  shook  her  head.  Small-boned  and  slender 
for  her  age,  clutching  a  boy's  jacket  over  her  chest  and 
glancing  timidly  from  brother  to  sister,  she  looked  like 
a  little  lost  child. 

'What's  happened,  Isita  ?^'  Harry  asked.  "Any- 
thing we  can  do  ?     Come  in,  dear." 

"Oh,  I  can't!"  The  words  came  in  a  faint,  fright- 
ened gasp.     "Mother  sent  me  to  ask  you — ^have  you  got 

176 


HOMESTEAD  KANCH 

something  for  a — a  cut?  Joe — that  is,  he  was  cut- 
ting up  a  chicken,  and  the  knife  slipped — "  She  stop- 
ped abruptly. 

"That's  bad;  but  we've  got  something  for  it.  Come 
in  and  rest  a  minute  while  I  get  the  things,  and  I'll  go 
back  with  you,"  Eob  began;  but  the  girl  raised  her 
hands  entreatingly. 

"Please  don't!"  she  besought.  "That  is,  I  mean, 
thank  you;  but  you  couldn't  do  nothing.  It  ain't  so 
dangerous.     All  we  need  is  something  to  put  on  it." 

Hob  went  across  the  room  to  where  Harry  was  busily 
putting  together  lint,  disinfectant  and  sticking  plas- 
ter. 

"I  think  I  ought  to  go  over,  don't  you?"  he  said. 
"He  may  have  cut  an  artery." 

"No,  no !"  Isita's  voice  called  out  desperately.  "If 
ain't  so  bad.  Ma  said  for  you  not  to  come.  It — it 
would  make  dad  so  mad.  He'd  'a'  killed  me  if  he'd 
knowed  I  was  coming  over  here.  Never  mind,  Miss 
Holliday.     I  reckon  I'd  better  be  getting  back." 

^Wait!  Here's  your  bandaging!"  Harry  called 
cheerily,  coming  out  at  the  same  moment  with  the 
package  and  with  her  sweater  on.  "I'm  only  going  to 
the  gate  with  you,"  she  said  soothingly,  and,  slipping 
her  arm  through  Isita's,  led  her  down  the  steps. 

Harry  was  back  in  ten  minutes.  "I  thought  I  might 
calm  her,"  she  explained  to  Rob.  "The  poor  child 
was  either  scared  to  death  at  sight  of  a  bad  cut,  or 
else  frightened  by  that  brute  of  a  father.  What  a 
shame  she  has  to  live  with  such  a  family." 

177 


HOMESTEAD  RANCH 

*'I  wonder  how  Joe  did  cut  his  hand,"  Eob  said 
thoughtfully.  "I  shouldn't  wonder  if  there  had  been 
a  family  scrap  and  the  old  man  gave  him  one." 

"Rob  Holliday !  The  idea!  Go  on  to  bed,  or  we'll 
never  get  started  in  the  morning." 


CHAPTEE  XIV 

Of  all  her  joumeyings  about  Idaho  that  ride  to  Lud- 
lum's  was  the  one  that  Harry  remembered  most  vividly. 
The  start  before  dawn,  the  ponies  fresh  and  eager,  the 
morning  star  ahead,  white  and  dazzling  in  the  east, 
the  familiar  road  at  that  unfamiliar  hour  so  strangely 
beautiful — above  all,  the  realization  that  this  day 
was  to  make  her  actually  the  owner  of  a  herd — all  filled 
her  with  a  wonderful,  exhilarating  joy. 

She  and  Rob  were  riding  fast,  scarcely  speaking  to 
each  other.  They  had  rounded  the  foot  of  the  butte 
that  separated  Harry's  land  from  the  Bianes'  and  were 
almost  in  front  of  the  Biane  house  when,  as  they  gal- 
loped along  the  fence,  Rob's  horse  leaped  and  gave  a 
snort  of  fright. 

"Take  care,  there!"  Rob  called  back  as  he  regained 
his  seat. 

Instinctively  Harry  reined  in  and  glanced  fearfully 
over  her  shoulder.  There  was  nothing  much  to  be 
seen — only  the  elder  Biane  loading  something  into  the 
wagon  that  stood  in  front  of  the  door. 

"I  wonder  whether  Joe  waa  hurt  worse  than  they 
wanted  to  say,"  Rob  remarked  to  Harry,  and  then  called 
out,  "Hi,  there,  Biane;  need  any  help?  Joe  all  right 
this  morning?" 

"All  right,  all  right!  We  need  not'ting  at  all."  As 
179 


HOMESTEAD  EANCH 

Rob  halted,  the  Portuguese  started  forward  and  waved 
his  arm  with  a  threatening  gesture.  "Not'ting  is  the 
mattare  here!     Go  on!" 

"Polite  beggar,"  Rob  commented,  laughing  as  they 
set  spurs  to  their  horses  and  rode  on. 

It  was  nine  o'clock  when,  after  crossing  the  foothills, 
they  sighted,  far  to  the  south,  the  oasis  of  shadow  that 
indicated  the  poplar  trees  of  Ludlum's  siding.  The 
railway  crosses  the  Snake  River  there,  full  forty  miles 
south  of  Camas  Prairie,  in  the  heart  of  the  sand-and- 
sagebrush  desert.  When  a  new  irrigation  tract  was 
opened,  and  a  rush  of  settlers  came  in  the  siding  began 
to  gather  a  settlement  round  itself.  Their  ranches 
lay  below  the  big  ditch  along  the  base  of  the  foothill 
rise,  and  their  scattered  forties  and  eighties  of  alfalfa 
were  the  first  verdure  that  the  travelers  from  the  hills 
had  seen. 

As  Harry  gazed  forward  along  the  road  winding 
through  the  sagebrush  toward  Ludlum's,  she  saw  in 
fancy  the  slow-moving  string  of  cattle  that  would  soon 
be  coming  back  over  that  road  to  her.  Her  herd !  Al- 
ready she  thought  of  them  as  hers;  for  when  she  had 
made  the  second  payment  in  December  it  would  be 
no  time  at  all  until  the  increase  from  the  herd  would  pay 
the  rest  of  the  debt. 

"Things  are  getting  pretty  dry  already,"  R^b  re- 
marked, as  he  gazed  at  the  passing  country.  "If  the 
irrigation  water  fails  these  fellows,  and  it  may  easy 
enough,  there  was  so  little  snow  last  winter,  they  won't 
get  much  late  hay." 

180 


HOMESTEAD  KANCH 

'Whj,  I  think  the  crops  look  fine,"  Harry  answered 
gaylj;  "and  as  for  us,  we  have  all  the  water  we  need. 
Our  springs  were  never  known  to  fail,  now,  were  they  ? 
We've  miles  of  free  range  that  should  last  into  October, 
and  we  can  certainly  buy  all  the  hay  we  need  down  on 
the  flat." 

"I  hope  you're  right,"  Eob  answered.  "Just  the 
same,  I'm  going  to  stop  at  some  of  the  ranches  along 
here  and  see  what  they're  asking  for  the  first  crop  of 
alfaKa." 

The  next  ranch  was  an  eighty-acre  square  of  silk- 
green,  rippling  verdure,  with  a  small  unpainted  frame 
house  at  the  edge  of  it,  like  a  raft  anchored  on  the 
border  of  turbulent  water.  Unfortunately,  there  was 
only  a  woman  at  home,  and  she  explained  that  the  men 
from  that  and  the  next  two  ranches  on  the  road 
had  gone  to  put  up  hay  on  the  Constable  place 
across  the  river. 

"If  we  can  get  through  with  Ludlum  in  time,  I  be- 
lieve I'd  better  ride  across  to  Constable's,"  Eob  said  as 
they  turned  the  last  comer  and  rode  along  Ludlum's 
fence. 

Harry  assented  vaguely.  She  was  absorbed  in  ad- 
miring the  splendid  ranch  before  them.  The  house 
grounds  of  the  thousand-acre  farm  lay  facing  the  road ;' 
the  railway  ran  along  the  other  side  of  the  place  where 
the  new  town  had  been  .laid  out.  For  half  a  mile  be- 
hind the  house  extended  a  double  row  of  immense 
Lombardy  poplars,  making  a  windbreak  against  the 
violent  west  winds;  and  in  their  shelter  were  ranged 

181 


HOMESTEAD  KAJSTCH 

the  orchard,  garden  and  the  group  of  bams,  sheds,  bunk 
houses,  cookhouse  and  other  out-buildings  that  per- 
tained to  an  old-time  ranch. 

Water  was  running  in  the  irrigation  ditches,  a  wind- 
mill whirred  with  its  pleasant  sound  of  industry,  miles 
of  alfalfa  and  pasture  shimmered  in  the  morning  sun- 
shine, and  in  other  fields  cows  with  young  calves  were 
feeding.  The  scene  gave  a  feeling  of  long-settled  pros- 
perity, of  solid  wealth  that  no  "bad  year,"  no  "dull  mar^ 
ket,"  could  affect. 

"And  all  this  has  been  done  with  cattle !"  Harry  ex- 
claimed, as  she  looked  around  her.  "How  thankful  I 
am  I've  started  a  herd !" 

"I  wonder,  though,  how  he  got  his  start,"  Rob  re- 
marked.    "With  one  cow  or  with  credit?" 

"I  dare  you  to  ask  him,"  said  Harry. 

Rob  only  laughed  and  swung  out  of  his  saddle  in 
front  of  the  door.  Several  children  ran  out  and  sur- 
rounded them  with  friendly  curiosity,  and  a  pretty, 
smiling  little  woman  followed  close  behind. 

"I  thought  I  recognized  Mr.  HoUiday,"  Mrs.  Ludlum 
said  when  Rob  had  introduced  his  sister.  "The  minute 
I  laid  eyes  on  him  I  knew  I'd  seen  him  here  before." 

"^N'o  use  trying  to  fool  a  real  Westerner,"  Rob  an- 
swered laughing.  "Once  you're  seen  in  this  country 
you're  a  marked  man." 

"Oh,  now,  I  wouldn't  call  you  that,  yet.  You  ain't 
never  done  nothing  worse,  so  far's  I  know,  than  turn  in 
here  once  for  the  night  when  your  team  ran  away  from 
you,  and  then  offer  to  pay  for  your  bed  and  board." 

182 


HOMESTEAD  RANCH 

"You'll  never  forgive  that,  will  you?"  said  Hob. 
'Well,  this  time  we've  come  to  carry  off  several  square 
meals  at  once  without  paying — except  with  promises. 
In  other  words,  we're  here  for  cattle.  Is  Mr.  Lud- 
lum  round?" 

"Well,  there!  He  just  ain't,"  said  Mrs.  Ludlum, 
who  had  seated  her  guests  in  the  big  veranda  rocking- 
chairs.  "Ludlum's  went  out  to  the  South  Side  to  look 
up  his  hay,  but  he'll  be  back  for  dinner.  You'll  stay 
overnight  anyhow.  Oh,  yes,  now !  It  ain't  so  often  you 
come  this  way,  and  we've  always  wanted  to  get  ac- 
quainted with  your  sister.  We've  heard  how  smart 
she  is;  teaching  school  and  milking  and  doing  choree 
like  she  was  bom  to  it." 

"Yes,  sis  keeps  the  traces  stiff  pretty  well,"  Rob  as- 
sured her. 

"Our  ranch  isn't  much  after  seeing  this  one,"  Harry 
said  quickly,  pleased  yet  embarrassed  by  her  brother's 
praise. 

'Well,  now.  Don't  let  that  give  you  a  set-back," 
said  Mrs.  Ludlum.  "Why,  when  we  come  here,  twenty- 
five  years  ago,  we  had  the  same  layout  as  you.  Raw 
sagebrush  and  no  water,  except  the  river.  You've  got 
us  beat  there.  Didn't  I  live  in  the  sheep  wagon,  too, 
for  a  year,  until  we  got  ahead  enough  to  build  us  a 
shack  ?     All  this  you  see  now  didn't  come  in  one  jump." 

Such  words  were  food  and  drink  to  Harry.  As  she 
listened  to  the  accounts  of  the  Ludlums'  trials,  mistakes 
and  bad  luck,  she  saw  that  she  and  Rob  were  not  the 
only  ones  who  had  made  blunders.     By  dinner  time  they 

183 


HOMESTEAD  KAl^CH 

were  exchanging  experiences  as  if  they  had  known  one 
another  for  years.  Harry  was  almost  sorry  when  Lud- 
Inm  came  in  and  the  topic  of  conversation  changed. 

Kob,  on  the  contrary,  was  glad  to  see  the  stockman. 
"It  may  save  me  a  trip  over  to  the  South  Side,"  he  said, 
"if  you  tjan  tell  me  what  sort  of  hay  crop  they've  got 
over  there." 

"It's  a  good  crop,  all  right,  but  it's  about  all  con- 
tracted for." 

"Already !"  Kob  exclaimed.     "What's  the  hurry  ?" 

"Nothing.  The  sheepmen  always  buy  early,  and  this 
year  there's  some  extra  cattle  in  the  country,  and  some 
of  'em'll  have  to  be  fed  this  winter — ^those  that  ain't 
fat  enough  to  ship  by  fall." 

"Erom  what  we've  heard  of  them  they  won't  ever 
be  fat  enough,"  said  Eob,  and  he  went  on  to  tell  what 
Gamett  had  reported. 

"I've  seen  'em  worse  than  that  and  come  off  the  range 
fat,"  Ludlnm  said,  laughing.  "You  needn't  worry 
about  them  taking  all  the  hay." 

Nevertheless,  Kob  decided  to  ride  out.  "If  we  can 
get  this  business  of  ours  settled  up  early,"  he  suggested, 
"I'll  leave  Harry  here  for  the  night  and  go  over  there." 

"Sure,"  Ludlum  answered  promptly.  ^We'll  go  and 
take  a  look  at  the  stock  on  pasture,  and  you  can  pick 
what  you  like.  Yee^  come  along,"  he  said  to  hia 
wife,  and  added,  grinning,  to  the  others,  "That  woman 
has  to  have  a  finger  in  everything;  you'd  think  she'd 
raised  the  whole  outfit  herself." 

"Well,  I  guess  I  did  raise  the  start  of  it !"  his  wife 
184 


HOMESTEAD  KANCH 

exclaimed.  "I  fed  a  dozen  calves  by  hand  until  they 
could  eat  grass,  and  it's  from  them  he  got  his  real  start 
of  a  herd.  Come  on,  Miss  Holliday.  I'll  tell  you 
which  ones  to  pick."  And,  putting  her  arm  through 
Harry's  she  led  the  way  down  the  path. 

It  was  done  at  last.  Rob  and  Harry  had  chosea 
thirty  Durham  cows,  calves,  yearlings  and  two  "coming 
two's."  The  price  was  to  be  one  thousand  dollars,  one 
fourth  down,  one  fourth  on  December  1,  when,  if  all 
went  well,  the  loan  would  be  renewed.  The  afternoon 
was  only  half  gone  when  they  came  out  of  the  notary 
public's  office. 

"I'll  leave  you  here,"  Rob  said,  mounting  his  horse 
as  the  others  got  into  Ludlum's  automobile.  "Don't 
forget,  sis,  if  I'm  not  back  to-night,  that  you  are  to  start 
on  in  the  morning  and  meet  me  up  the  road  near  that 
ranch  we  stopped  at  on  our  way  down." 

"I've  half  a  mind  not  to  let  you  go  inside  a  week," 
Mrs.  Ludlum  declared  as  they  started  back  to  the  house. 
"Men  folks  always  take  it  for  granted  that  a  woman's 
got  to  be  home  every  minute,  whether  she's  needed  or 
not.  I'U  bet  you  haven't  slept  away  from  home  two 
nights  running  since  you  filed  on  your  homestead. 
Have  you,  now?" 

"Plenty  of  times,"  said  Harry  gayly.  "You  forget 
that  I  taught  school  on  the  flat  for  three  winters." 

"She  caught  you  that  time,  Ma,"  said  Ludlum,  grin- 
ning. 

"A  lot  that  worries  me!  Any  one  that  can  catch 
me  is  welcome  to  his  pay.     My  dad  tried  to  make  a 

185 


HOMESTEAD  EANCH 

school-teacher  out  of  me,  but  he  gave  it  up  as  a  bad 
job.  Said  he  guessed  I'd  make  a  better  cow  puncher. 
He'd  have  been  some  surprised  to  know  a  girl  could 
be  smart  at  both." 

The  way  Mrs.  Ludlum's  brown  eyes  beamed  at  Harry 
warmed  the  girFs  heart. 

"I'd  rather  ride  than  teach,"  Harry  declared,  "but 
the  only  way  I  could  save  money  to  go  into  cattle  was 
by  teaching.  You  see,  Rob  insisted  that  besides  the 
money  for  the  first  payment  I  should  have  something 
for  running  expenses." 

"You  don't  mean  to  say  you  saved  for  that!  How 
much,  child?" 

"Two  hundred  and  fifty." 

"Two  hundred  fifty !  Whoopee !  Did  you  hear  that, 
Ludlum?  Why,  you  don't  no  more  need  that  than 
a  rattlesnake  needs  two  tails!  Instead  of  saltin'  that 
down,  you'd  ought  to  have  put  it  into  a  decent-sized 
bunch  of  beef." 

"We  thought  it  safer  to  save  something,"  said  Harry, 
feeling  her  oheeiks  redden. 

"There,  now.  She's  mad  with  ma"  Mrs.  Lud- 
lum's  arm  went  round  Harry's  waist  in  a  conciliatory 
hug.  "You're  the  same  sort  I  was  myself — full  of 
spunk  as  an  apple  is  of  cider.  That's  the  sort  of  thing 
that  makes  success.  I'll  bet  right  now  you  wanted  to 
put  that  extra  cash  into  beef,  didn't  you  ?  Of  course ! 
See  her  smile!  And  that's  what  you're  going  to  do. 
Pa  and  I'll  ^  you  up  all  right" 

186 


HOMESTEAD  KANCH 

'^ut  two  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  won't  buy  many 
cows,"  Harry  began. 

"It  won't  buy  blooded  white-face,  but  you've 
got  a  plenty  of  them.  What  you  need  is  some  scrub 
stock;  the  sort  we  started  with.  They'll  rustle  better 
for  feed,  stand  harder  weather  and  come  through  where 
your  high-class  critters  will  knock  under.  You  take 
thirty  scrubs  at  six  'hundred,  pay  two  hundred  fifty 
cash  for  'em  and  let  the  other  three  fifty  go  on  time, 
and  I'll  lay  you  even  money  they'll  make  more  for 
you  than  your  'ristocrats  that  cost  you  twice  as  much. 
Ain't  that  right,  Pa?'' 

"What  you  say  goes,  I  guess,''  the  stockman  agreed, 
with  a  whimsical  glance  at  Harry  as  they  got  out  of  the 
car  in  front  of  the  house.  "You  always  were  the  boss, 
you  know." 

"Sure.  I  have  to  be.  The  men  would  just  mill 
round  in  a  peck  measure  till  kingdom  come  if  the  wo- 
men didn't  drag  'em  into  the  road  to  success.  That's 
what  the  girl  here  is  going  to  show  her  brother.  Show 
him  she  can  do  all  the  rounding  up  and  cutting  out 
this  fall.  Then  she'll  sell  off  enough  to  buy  her  some 
hay.  Pa  here'll  pick  you  a  good  bunch,  deary. 
They're  all  out  on  range  now,  but  he'll  see  you  get 
what's  comin'  to  you." 

As  Harry  listened  to  this  lively  mixture  of  plans  for 
her  and  praise  of  her,  Eob's  decision  that  they  should 
take  only  thirty  head  suddenly  lost  its  finality.  These 
people  knew  much  more  than  Kob  did  about  the  cattlej 

187 


HOMESTEAD  EANCH 

business.  Besides,  Eob  had  not  put  a  cent  of  his  own 
into  the  white-face ;  why  should  she  not  do  as  she  liked 
with  her  own  money — put  what  she  had  left  into  thirty 
more?  That,  with  EoVs  bunch,  would  give  them  an 
even  hundred. 

Abruptly  she  stopped  in  the  path.  "I've  decided,'' 
she  said.  "I'm  going  to  take  the  scrubs.  Thirty  head. 
I  guess  I'll  come  out  all  right.     Why  not  ?" 

Her  confidence  remained  as  long  as  she  stayed  with 
the  Ludlums.  It  was  only  after  she  had  bidden  them 
good-by  the  next  morning  that  she  began  to  wonder 
what  Rob  would  say.  At  first  he  might  disapprove. 
The  likelihood  that  he  would  do  so  grew  upon  her  as 
she  drew  near  their  meeting  place ;  the  arguments  that 
had  appeared  so  sound  while  Mrs.  Ludlum  talked  now 
sounded  very  flimsy. 

At  last  she  heard  the  pound  of  hoofs  behind  her  and, 
turning,  saw  Rob. 

"I  came  near  not  getting  here  this  morning,  after 
all,"  he  began.  "l!^obody'll  sell  hay  now,  or  even  set  a 
price  on  it.  They're  all  waiting  to  see  how  the  second 
cutting  turns  out.  This  pest  of  outside  cattle  has  sent 
every  one  on  the  stampede  for  high-priced  hay.  My, 
but  I'm  thankful  you've  got  that  two  hundred  and  fifty 
in  reserve !     We'll  need  it,  all  right." 

He  looked  at  her  sharply.  She  was  facing  him  with 
a  smile  on  her  lips,  eyes  unflinching,  but  without  a 
word. 

"What  is  it  ?"  he  asked  quietly.  "You  haven't  heard 
the  bank's  busted  ?" 

188 


HOMESTEAD  RANCH 

''No.  But  I've  nothing  in  it.  I  bought  thirty  more 
cattle,  scrubs,  at  six  hundred,  and  paid  down  my  other 
two  hundred  and  fifty." 

It  was  told !  With  the  relief,  her  nervous  shakiness 
vanished,  and  she  rushed  into  the  account  of  what  she 
had  done.  She  watched  Rob's  face  for  the  slow  smile 
that  would  reluctantly  acknowledge  her  good  judg- 
ment; but  it  did  not  come.  Instead,  Rob  stared 
straight  ahead,  and  deep  lines  appeared  in  his  face,  as 
if  he  were  very  tired.  Harry  tried  to  interest  him  by 
quoting  Mrs.  Ludlum,  her  experience  and  advice,  but 
Rob  answered  colorlessly  or  not  at  all. 

"No  doubt  it  was  easy  enough  twenty-five  years 
ago,"  he  said  at  last,  "but  there  are  too  many  people  in 
here  now  that  have  got  something  to  say  about  who's 
going  to  make  all  the  money  in  cattle.  If  the  ranchers 
won't  sell  their  hay,  we'll  have  to  do  without.  That's 
aU." 

"I  guess  we  can  get  all  we  need  on  the  flat,"  Harry 
said  quickly.  "They  aren't  short  of  water  up  there, 
thank  goodness." 

"Yes,  plenty  of  water  so  far;  but  don't  forget  it  isn't 
too  late  for  the  June  freeze." 

The  June  freeze!  Harry  had  forgotten  that  yearly 
menace.  Only  the  year  before  it  had  hit  the  prairie 
and  had  wiped  out  every  little  "truck  patch,"  blackened 
every  acre  of  potatoes,  and  seared  thousands  of  acres  of 
alfalfa.  As  if  the  thin  fingers  of  that  very  June  frost 
had  folded  round  her  wrist,  Harry  felt  her  warm  blood 
chill. 

18« 


HOMESTEAD  EAl^CH 

Fear,  however,  was  not  natural  to  her.  The  reaction 
came,  and  through  the  following  week,  while  waiting 
for  the  new  cattle  to  arrive,  her  confidence  in  ultimate 
victory  renewed  itself. 

Ludlum  had  told  her  that  he  would  send  the  white- 
face  bunch  up  by  riders  who  would  round  up*  the  scrubs 
on  the  way  and  bring  the  whole  lot  in  at  once.  Daily 
Harry  expected  to  see  them  come  down  the  draw.  At 
the  same  time  she  was  waiting  for  Eob,  who  had  been 
gone  for  several  days  hunting  hay  on  the  flat.  By  sun- 
set on  Saturday  she  had  given  up  hope  of  seeing  any  one 
that  week;  but  as  she.  was  feeding  the  calves,  in  the 
corral,  a  hostile  growl  from  'Thello  made  her  turn 
quickly  to  see  a  slow-moving  string  of  cattle  wind  down 
the  draw. 

"My  herd!"  she  exclaimed,  and  dropped  her  empty 
bucket.     "They've  come." 

There  they  were,  shuffling  the  dust  into  an  obscuring 
cloud  and  beginning  to  bellow  at  the  sight  of  the  cows  in 
the  barnyard. 

"Where  do  you  want  'em  ?"  one  of  the  riders  called 
to  the  girl,  as   she  hurried  to  meet  them. 

'TKight  there,  until  we  can  cut  out  the  calves  and 
bring  them  inside.  Just  move  them  along  the  fence  so 
I  can  count  them,  will  you  ?" 

"Oh,  you'll  be  able  to  count  'em  without  their  millin' 
round  none,"  the  rider  answered ;  "they're  tired  enough 
to  set  for  their  photos  without  stirrin'  a  hair." 

Was  it  only  because  they  were  tired  that  they  looked 
so  queer,  Harry  wondered  as  she  moved  about  among 

190 


HOMESTEAD  EANCH 

them.  A  puzzled  look  replaced  her  pleased  smile. 
The  Durham 3  were  right  enough:  big,  solid,  beefy 
qreatures.  But  the  scrubs — was  that  the  way  scrubs 
always  looked?  She  had  seen  plenty  of  them  on  the 
range,  but  never  had  she  noticed  that  they  were  like 
these  thirty  strange  odd-come-shorts:  here  a  cow  no 
bigger  than  a  good-sized  calf,  but  carrying  the  horns  of 
a  Texas  steer;  over  there  a  Jersey-colored  steer  with  a 
head  as  big  as  a  buffalo's;  calves  of  every  mixture  of 
breed  and  of  no  breed  at  all.  She  was  still  standing 
studying  them  when  she  heard  the  soft  thump  of  hoofs 
and  the  voices  of  two  men,  and  saw  Bob  and  Gamett 
riding  toward  her. 

"He  roped  ma  a,  couple  of  miles  back  and  fetched  me 
along,"  said  the  forest  ranger,  pretending  as  usual  that 
he  was  there  only  through  necessity.  "Told  me  you 
were  going  to  have  beef  stew  and  dumplings,  and  he  was 
afeared  he  couldn't  eat  it  all  himself." 

He  had  dropped  from  his  saddle  and  come  up  beside 
her,  stepping  stiffly  on  his  high-heeled  boots  as  he 
looked  fixedly  down  at  her. 

"Beef  stew  ?"  She  made  an  effort  at  a  lively  reply. 
"I  guess  there  are  some  critters  in  that  bunch  that  wDn't 
be  good  for  much  else." 

'*What  did  you  really  expect  ?"  Ebb  inquired  mildly. 

"I  hoped  they'd  develop  enough  beef  to  pay  us  to 
ship  them  for  stew,"  she  retorted.  "Of  course  I  knew 
scrubs  weren't  like  blooded  stock,  but  Ludlum  said  he'd 
pick  mine  out." 

"The  word  scrubs,"  Kob  reminded  her  as  they  began 
191 


HOMESTEAD  EANCH 

to  work  the  calves  inside  the  gate,  "is  like  charity:  if 
covers  a  multitude  of  sins.  And  when  you're  dealing 
with  the  Ludlums — ^well,  what  fat  there  might  be  in  the 
herd  is  generally  in  the  fire ;  as  at  present." 

"What  is  her  talking  about  ?"  Harry  asked. 

"Aw!  !N'othin'  much.  Some  of  the  critters  that 
were  over  the  other  side  of  the  river  have  been  driven  in 
here  on  the  range  and " 

"Those  wild,  starved  things  from  outside  ?  But  they 
oan't!  This  range  belongs  to  us  ranchers."  The  sig- 
nificance of  the  thing  was  comingi  t6  her.  "What  right 
have  outsiders  to  ship  stock  in  here  ?  We'll  drive  them 
into  the  river !     They  shan't  clean  up  the  grazing." 

"I  guess  you  wouldn't  want  to  run.  'em  into  the 
river,"  Garnett  said  reflectively,  "not  if  you're  buying 
cattle  from  Ludlum  on  time." 

"Ludlum  ?    What  has  he  to  do  with  it  ?" 

"Nothing  much,"  answered  Garnett,  slowly,  "except 
that  about  five  hundred  of  the  scrubs  are  his,  and  if  ho 
knew  that  you  were  running  'em  off  he  might  take  it 
kind  of  bad." 


CHAPTER    XV 

^^Guess  I'd  better  lend  a  hand,"  Rob  said  to  himself. 
He  had  been  repairing  an  irrigation  ditch  on  the  west 
side  of  the  ranch  and  for  some  time  had  been  watching 
a  cloud  of  dust  to  the  east;  it  seemed  to  indicate  fresh 
trouble  from  Ludlum's  hungry  horde. 

Although  scarcely  ten  days  had  passed  since  those 
scrub  cattle  had  appeared  in  the  hills,  the  famished 
animals  had  already  broken  fences,  trampled  growing 
wheat,  homed  last  season's  stacks  and  broken  down 
banks  of  the  irrigation  ditches.  And  what  was  worse, 
if  possible,  than  all  that  mischief,  they  were  taking  a 
great  deal  of  Rob's  time,  every  moment  of  which  was 
worth  money. 

"We're  helpless  to  prevent  it,  too,  I  guess!"  Rob 
muttered  as  he  started  toward  the  scene  of  trouble; 
'Tielpless  because  there's  no  herd  law  in  these  hills. 
Ludlum's  got  just  as  good  right  to  the  free  range  as  we 
have,  and,  with  his  mortgage  on  Harry's  land,  he  can 
make  it  mighty  bad  for  us  if  he  finds  us  dogging  his 
stock  off.  I'll  get  even  with  him  for  his  meanness, 
though." 

He  glowered  at  the  scattered  bands  of  cattle  that 
trailed  along  the  fence,  seeking  an  opening  into  the  rich 
feed  inside.     How  shortsighted  he  and  the  other  foot- 

193 


HOMESTEAD  RANCH 

hill  ranchers  were  not  to  have  demanded  a  herd  law 
long  before ! 

As  the  law  stood  now  the  "cattle  baron''  had  the  ad- 
vantage. He  could  run  his  hundreds  of  head  of  stock 
on  the  open  range  from  April  to  September,  or  take 
them  up  into  the  reserve  until  that  was  eaten  clean; 
then  after  shipping  his  beef  "critters"  he  could  drive 
the  rest  down  on  the  South  Side  to  winter  on  the  hay 
that  he  had  bought  from  the  farmers  there.  The  man 
with  fifty  or  a  hundred  head  had  no  chance  at  all 
against  him.  If  the  big  stockman's  cattle,  grazing  un- 
herded,  got  inside  the  rancher's  fence  and  bloated  on 
his  alfalfa  or  grain,  the  stockman  could  collect  heavy 
damages  from  the  farmer,  who  had  no  redress  for  his 
damaged  crops ;  it  was  the  farmer's  business  to  keep  the 
stockman's  cattle  out. 

It  was  a  just  law  for  the  wilderness,  but  not  at  all  the 
law  for  a  region  that  was  going  under  the  fence.  The 
men  who  were  reclaiming  the  desert,  who  were  turning 
the  north  slope  of  the  foothills  and  the  prairie  into 
farms,  who  were  raising  grain  and  hay  and  building  up 
small  herds  of  cattle  and  sheep,  were  now  the  men  to  be 
protected  by  law.  That  protection  a  herd  law  would 
give  them,  for  it  would  forbid  stockmen  to  run  their 
herds  into  the  hills  without  riders  to  watch  them,  and  it 
would  make  the  stockmen  liable  for  damages  to  fences 
or  crops.  That  would  mean,  of  course,  that  the  big 
herds  would  not  be  turned  into  the  hills  at  all;  for  it 
was  only  because  they  could  be  left  there  without  herd- 
ers that  they  had  piled  up  the  profits  for  their  owners. 

194 


HOMESTEAD  RA^CH 

"Pity  sis  couldn't  have  known  what  Ludlnm  was 
planning  to  do  up  here  himseK,"  Rob  went  on  to  him- 
self. *^She  mightn't  have  fallen  for  the  old  lady's  get- 
rieh-easy  talk.  !N"ot  that  Mrs.  Ludlum  meant  to  gouge 
Harry.  She's  square,  and  thinks  he  is,  too,  I  guess. 
Ludlum's  sharp,  that's  all.  Drives  a  hard  bargain. 
If  we'd  known  how  many  of  their  scrubs  we  were  going 
to  ride  after  and  feed  for  nothing,  Harry^d  have  been 
satisfied  with  thirty  of  her  own,  all  right,  especially 
now  that  the  range  is  going  dry." 

As  he  stumbled  along  under  the  hot  sun  he  saw 
Harry  coming  on  horseback.  In  her  khaki  jumper, 
divided  skirt  and  riding  boots  she  looked  like  a  boy  of 
sixteen. 

"I'm  awfully  sorry  to  ask  you  to  help,"  she  began. 
"I  can't  get  those  critters  of  Ludlum's  out  unless  ours 
go,  too.  My!  But  I  hate  them!"  She  stopped 
abruptly,  with  a  telltale  quiver  in  her  voice,  and  looked 
away.  Then  quickly  she  braced  herself.  "If  I 
could  once  get  them  outside,  I'd  take  'em  so  far  they'd 
never  find  themselves^  let  alone  find  the  road  back 
here." 

Rob's  eyes  softened.  Poor  old  girl!  She  was 
doing  her  beet,  anyhow, 

"I  guess  they  won't  bother  us  much  more,  Harry," 
he  said.  "I  have  decided  that  I'll  put  on  another  wire. 
They  can't  jump  four." 

"Another  wire!"  she  exclaimed.  "But,  Rob,  have 
you  thought  of  the  Expense !" 

"Not  half  so  expensive  as  wasting  time  running  them 

195 


HOMESTEAD  KANCH 

off.  Well,  let's  get  busy.  If  you^l  fetch  Jeff,  I'll 
change  these  wet  shoes." 

Obediently,  Harry  went  up  the  draw  to  the  corral 
among  the  trees  where  they  kept  the  work  horses  in 
summer.  Her  head  ached,  and  there  was  a  lump  in  her 
throat.  How  considerate  of  her  Rob  was!  She  had 
added  just  double  to  their  difficulties,  had  added  to 
their  expenses,  yet  not  one  word  of  reproach  did  he  give 
her.  Instead  he  was  always  ready  to  help  whenever 
she  came  to  him — and  that  was  pretty  often.  Hand- 
ling cattle,  she  realized,  was  notfc  to  be  learned  by  any 
"fifteen  minutesi  a  day"  of  study. 

"Cowboys  certainly  earn  their  wages,"  Harry  admits 
ted  with  a  weary  sigh,  when,  after  several  hours  of 
weary  work  they  had  at  last  got  the  strangers  outside 
the  fence  and  had  driven  back  inside  several  of  their 
own  cattle  that  had  gone  out  with  the  others.. 

It  was  six  o'clock.  They  were  both  choked  with 
dust,  thirsty,  saddle-sore  and  tired.  Harry,  aching 
from  head  to  foot,  longed  to  get  into  a  bath  and  put 
on  some  clean  clothes ;  instead,  she  must  wash  a  panful 
of  dishes  and  cook  supper. 

"You're  dead  right,"  Rob  agreed.  "A  buckaroo 
earns  every  cent  he  gets,  and  its  almost  impossible  to 
run  cattle  without  them." 

Every  word  was  a  blow  to  Harry's  careless  faith  in 
herself.  She  listened  in  humble  silence  while  Rob 
went  on : 

"You  can  understand  why  I  c)an't  afford  to  ride 
cattle  for  nothing.     I've  simply  got  to  disk  that  sum- 

196 


HOMESTEAD  KANCH 

mer  fallow  and  start  work  on  the  dam  for  the  freshet- 
water  reservoir.  Every  day  I  spend  like  this  means  a 
big  loss,  not  only  to  me,  but  to  the  ranch  as  an  invest- 
ment.'* 

"Of  course.  I  can  see  that,"  Harry  answered 
quickly,  "and  I  expect  to  pay  you;  but  I  haven't  a 
cent  of  money  now,  as  you  know.  I  shall  sell  some 
steers  in  the  fall,  anyhow,  and  I  can  pay  you  then." 

"I'd  rather  you  paid  me  in  cattle.  After  I've  hired 
out  harvesting,  I  ought  to  have  enough  cash  to  buy  all 
the  winter  hay  I'll  need  for  my  own  stock,  and  maybe 
some  for  yours.  I'll  go  to  town  to-morrow  for  that 
wire.  Maybe  I  can  get  it  on  time.  That'll  give  me 
a  little  more  cash  to  buy  hay  with." 

Hurry  wondered  what  she  should  do  if  the  scrubs 
broke  in  while  he  was  away.  While  Mrs.  Ludlum  had 
been  talking,  Harry  had  been  ready  to  believe  that  she 
could  do  anything;  now  the  time  had  come  for  her  to 
show  what  she  was  actually  good  for. 

As  soon  as  Eob  had  left  the  next  morning,  therefore, 
she  made  a  circuit  outside  the  fence  and  ran  off  all  the 
cattle  in  sight.  To  her  relief,  that  kept  them  away  un- 
til the  afternoon  feeding  began ;  then,  making  a  second 
tour,  she  dispersed  the  lines  that  were  headed  for  the 
alfaHa. 

"If  I'd  dogged  them  that  way  from  the  first,"  she 
thought,  "they'd  never  have  got  inside  at  all." 

Kob  did  not  get  home  that  night,  rather  to  Harry's 
satisfaction.  "It  gives  me  another  day  to  see  what  I 
can  do  with  these  critters." 

197 


HOMESTEAD  EANCH 

Dawn  comes  early  in  the  f  ootbills  at  the  end  of  June.' 
liOng  before  four  o'clock  the  sky  was  pink,  the  grouse 
were  whistling  in  the  alfalfa,  the  morning  breeze  had 
begun  to  flutter  the  quaking  asps,  a  cool,  fresh  smell  of 
juicy  grass  had  risen  from  the  earth,  and  the  world  of 
animals  had  begun  to  feed. 

The  cattle  were  the  first  to  move.  Almost  before 
dawn  they  leave  their  bedding  ground  and  follow  the 
scent  of  the  nearest  pasture.  Eor  Ludlum's  stock  EoVs 
wheat  and  alfalfa  were  the  lure. 

As  they  snuffed  the  sweetness  of  growing  grass,  the 
leaders  of  the  herd  broke  into  hungry  bawling,  set  off 
at  a  gallop,  and,  as  they  reached  the  fence,  J)lunged  at 
it  and  went  over. 

Harry  woke  to  'Thello's  furious  barking.  She  woke 
with  a  start,  got  to  her  elbow  and  peered  out.  In  the 
dim  light  she  could  make  out  forms  moving  across  the 
field.  With  a  sigh  she  climbed  out  of  bed  and,  still 
nodding  with  sleep,  dressed  and  stumbled  off  to  saddle 
her  pony.  Hike. 

Of  the  two  gates  to  the  alfalfa  meadow,  one  led  into 
the  lane  at  the  bam  and  the  other  into  the  east  pasture. 
It  was  in  that  pasture  that  Rob  and  Harry  were  holding 
the  new  herd  until  the  animals  became  accustomed  to 
their  home.  !N"ow,  as  Harry  rode  slowly  down  the  lane, 
she  wondered  what  would  be  her  best  plan  of  acjtion. 

If  she  ran  the  intruders  out  over  the  broken-down 
fence,  they  would  merely  turn  round  and  come  in 
again;  but  if  she  took  them  through  the  lane,  up  the 
draw  and  across  the  flat  on  top  of  the  hills  and  ran  them 

198 


HOMESTEAD  RANCH 

south  a  good  way,  they  might  continue  down  that  side 
of  the  divide.  "It  would  serve  Ludlum  right/'  she 
said  to  herself,  "to  have  his  starved  creatures  break 
into  his  own  alfalfa;  some  morning !" 

As  she  rode  slowly  toward  the  feeding  animals  the 
blood  sprang  to  her  temples  and  she  drew  a  fierce 
breath.  The  sight  of  the  starving  beasts,  fifteen, 
twenty,  twenty-five  of  them,  tearing  away  greedily  at 
the  tender  alfalfa,  roused  in  Harry  an  indescribable 
ire. 

"Miserable  beasts!'  she  exclaimed.  "Take  'em  out, 
'Thello!     That's  it!     Get 'em,  boy!" 

Obedient  to  training,  the  collie  had  kept  close  to  the 
pony.  Now,  at  the  sound  of  Harry's  voice,  he  was  off 
— a  vicious  whirlwind  of  black  fur.  As  he  dashed 
upon  the  herd,  snapping  at  heels  here,  there  and  every- 
where, a  stream  of  yelps  rent  the  air. 

Shouting  "Hi  yi !  Hi  yi !"  Harry  set  spurs  to  the 
pony  and  cam.e  close  behind. 

Away  they  all  went,  steers,  cows,  calves,  dog  and  girl, 
plunging,  bawling,  barking  and  galloping  across  the 
field  and  into  the  lane.  Once  actually  in  the  lane,  with 
the  gate  shut  behind  them,  Harry  felt  safe.  To  be 
sure,  some  of  the  bunch  were  ugly  and  tried  to  turn 
back ;  but  she  was  on  the  lookout  for  those  and,  pushing 
her  pony  close,  gave  each  laggard  a  welt  with  her  raw- 
hide whip  that  sent  the  sullen  one  ahead  with  a  jump. 

She  forgot  her  annoyance  at  being  routed  out  early, 
forgot  the  time  she  was  wasting,  almost*  forgot  the 
trampled  alfalfa.     Her  sense  of  mastery  blotted  out  the 

199 


HOMESTEAD  KANCH 

vexations.  This  was  the  work  she  really  loved.  Even 
after  they  had  got  up  into  the  hills,  the  feeling  of  power 
stayed  with  her  and  helped  her  to  prevent  the  hungry 
scrubs  from  turning  back.  It  was  not  easy  work. 
Though  she  was  wet  with  sweat  and  smothered  in  dust, 
she  determined  to  keep  after  them  until  they  had 
turned  the  shoulder  of  the  divide. 

She  had  just  given  one  sulky  brute  a  sounding 
tiiwack,  when  a  shout  behind  her  made  her  wheel  in 
surprise. 

"Hey!     What's  doin'  here?'' 

Over  the  ridge  came  a  "cow  puncher"  riding  at  a 
lope.  "Ain't  you  herdin'  them  critters  the  wrong  way, 
ma'am  ?"  he  inquired,  with  a  queer  smile. 

"Wrong  for  them,  maybe,  not  for  us,"  Harry  an- 
swered briefly.  To  iierself  she  added,  "Who  are  you, 
anyhow  ?" 

He  certainly  was  the  oddeslrlooking  vaquero  she  had 
met  on  the  range.  He  was  plump  and  short,  tow- 
haired  and  with  no  visible  eyebrows;  his  skin  was 
burned  rose  pink,  and  his  pale-blue  eyes  were  scorched 
by  the  desert  sunlight.  He  looked  like  an  overgrown 
fat  baby;  but  a  second  glance  showed  her  that  his 
scowling  eyes  and  smiling  lips  were  only  caused  by  the 
"sheepherder's  grin"  carved  on  his  face  by  years  of 
riding  in  blinding  sunshine. 

"I  don't  know  whose  cows  you  think  you're  rounding 
up,"  the  "cow  puncher"  went  on,  "but  the  real  owner 
wouldn't  now — want  'em  druv  off.  What  I  chiefly 
mean  is,  not  right  now."  ^ 

200 


HOMESTEAD  EANCH 

"I'm  sorry  to  disoblige  the  real  owner,"  Harry  said, 
with  a  laugh,  "but  if  you're  a  friend  of  his  you  can  tell 
him  that  the  'real  owner'  of  a  bunch  of  cattle  on  the 
ranch  below  here  claims  the  grazing  on  these  hills,  and 
that  if  he — that  is  to  say,  Mr.  Ludlum — doesn't  want 
his  scrubs  dogged,  he  can  send  a  rider  up  here  to  keep 
them  where  they  belong." 

As  always  with  Harry,  when  her  temper  was  up,  she 
smiled,  held  her  nose  in  the  air  and  eyed  her  opponent 
with  fine  disdain. 

The  vaquero  did  not  wither  perceptibly.  His  grin 
merely  became  sarcastic  "You  personally  acquain- 
ted— that  is,  you  know  Ludlum  ?"  he  inquired. 

"I've  made  a  beginning  that  way,"  Harry  said. 

"Beggin'  your  pardon,"  the  man  went  on,  "and 
speakin'  like  I  was  givin'  a  hint,  I'd  say  that  if  this 
here  owner  of  these-here  scrubs  gits  on  to  what  you're 
doin'  you're  likely  to  find  you  ain't  got  anything  of 
your  own  to  round  up  this  fall.  Not  that  he'd  run  'em 
off;  that  is,  now.  And  you  couldn't  find  'em  in  his 
herd;  no,  not  if  you  was  to  have  every  blamed  critter 
up  before  a  judge  and  jury  to  be  sworn  to.  Like's  not 
Ludlum'd  try  to  help  you  locate  your  stock;  he's  right 
helpful,  mebbe  you've  noticed?  I'm  ridin'  for  him 
now  myself,  and  I've  got  my  orders  to  keep  these  ^ve 
hundred  head  in  these-here  hills — where  they  kin  git  to 
water  on  the  north  slope,  is  what  I  chiefly  mean." 

"But  all  the  water  on  the  north  slope  belongs  to  us," 
Harry  remarked,  trying  to  control  her  indignation. 
"There  isn't  a  spring  outside,  except  where  the  stream 

201 


HOMESTEAD  RANCH 

runs  beyond  our  fence,  until  you  get  to  Hobinson's. 
And  before  I'll  let  Ludlum  water  on  my  land,  or  on  my 
brother's,  I'll  shoot  every  one  of  his  miserable  scrubs.' 
You  can  tell  him  so,  if  you  like;  tell  him  I  intend  to 
keep  right  on  dogging  them  off,  too.  Please  repeat 
every  word  of  this  to  him.  Thank  you.  Good  morn- 
ing." 

With  a  jab  of  the  spur  into  Hike's  side  she  was  off. 
^^Of  all  the  hateful,  mean,  dishanorable  creatures!" 
she  whispered  to  herself.  Her  eyes  were  hot  with 
tears ;  she  felt  tricked,  cheated,  helpless.  For  the 
moment  she  did  not  realize  that  the  "cow-puncher"  had 
perhaps  not  meant  all  he  said,  had  merely  tried  to 
frighten  her. 

She  raced  along,  not  noticing  where  she  was  going, 
and  only  came  to  herself  when  the  pony,  which  had 
naturally  turned  toward  home,  slackened  his  gallop  at 
the  head  of  the  draw.  It  was  th'en  about  eight  o'clock 
by  the  sun,  still  and  hot,  and  the  cattle  flies  were  in- 
ijolerable.  The  vision  of  the  cold,  deep  spring  under 
the  wall  of  rock  brought  sudden  relief  to  her  vexed 
heart.  Sliding  out  of  the  saddle,  she  took  the  bridle 
over  her  arm  and  walked  ajcross  the  mountain  grass 
toward  the  spring. 

Suddenly  she  came  upon  a  grouse  hen  that  had  been 
wounded  and  had  escaped  to  die,  and  ^he  realized  that 
the  hunters  were  abroad  once  more.  She  kept  looking 
to  and  fro  on  either  side  as  she  walked,  and  suddenly 
a  strange  sound,  almost  under  her  feet,  made  her  jump. 
"Well,  of  all  things !"  she  said  slowly. 
202 


HOMESTEAD  KANCH 

There  lay  a  month-old  heifer  calf  bleeding  from  a 
•wound  in  its  leg.  The  creature  made  no  effort  to  es- 
cape as  Harry  examined  it;  only  gave  a  mournful  moo! 
and  rolled  its  eyes. 

^^You're  not  one  of  my  calves,"  she  said  presently; 
"at  least  I  think  mine  are  all  in  the  corral.  You  must 
be  one  of  Ludlum's;  but  you  can't  lie  here  and  die, 
even  if  you  are  his.  I'll  get  you  down  to  the  house 
somehow,  and  maybe  when  the  cows  come  in  your 
mother  will  come  with  them." 

But  no  strange  cow  turned  up  lowing  for  a  lost  calf, 
and  when  Rob  returned  he  said  that  the  only  thing  to 
do  wAs  to  keep  it  until  some  range  rider  came  looking 
for  strays.  They  cleaned  out  the  wound,  which  had 
been  made  by  a  shotgun,  fed  the  calf  on  skimmed  milk, 
and  kept  it  in  a  dark  corner  of  the  bam  where  the  flies 
would  not  torment  it. 

"That's  Joe  Biane's  work,"  Harry  said  emphatically. 
"It  shows  what  may  happen  to  our  own  calves  at  any 
time.  He  doesn't  care  what  he  hits  when  he's  after 
birds.  I  think  we  should  speak  to  the  game  warden 
about  him." 

"The  trouble  is  that  we  didn't  see  Joe  shoot  the  calf, 
so  we  can't  swear  he  did  it.  Unless  you  can  do  that, 
you've  got  no  case.  It's  not  worth  while,  anyhow. 
You'd  only  get  Joe's  ill  will,  and  he'd  make  us  more 
trouble  than  we've  got  already,  which  would  be  consid- 
erable. Let's  put  all  our  time  into  getting  a  herd  law 
through.  We'll  have  to  have  all  the  ranchers  in  with 
us,  and  that  includes  the  Bianes.     So  don't  rub  Joe  the 

203 


HOMESTEAD  RANCH 

wrong  way  until  weVe  got  Ms  vote.  Joe  is  nothing 
compared  with  the  trouble  Ludlum  may  give  U5." 

"He  certainly  may,"  she  admitted,  thinking  of  what 
the  pink-faced  rider  had  told  her. 

She  decided  to  say  nothing  to  Rob  about  that  inci- 
dent. She  reflected  that  there  was  no  use  bothering 
him  with  every  little  matter  that  came  up  between  her 
and  Ludlum's  herders  over  the  question  of  the  grazing. 


CHAPTER  XYI 

For  a  week  after  the  new  wire  was  put  on,  Hob  and 
Harry  had  a  respite  from  fighting  off  Ludlum's  herd. 
Once  a  day  Harry  made  a  circuit  of  the  place  and  drove 
the  outside  cattle  back  into  the  hills ;  but  the  rest  of  the 
time  she  and  Rob  were  virtually  free  from  them.  It 
was  a  great  relief,  for  besides  the  fact  that  Rob  had 
turned  water  on  the  wheat,  which  was  beginning  to 
look  pretty  dry,  and  that  the  time  had  come  to  cut  the 
alfalfa,  two  of  their  steers  had  gone  off  with  the  range 
cattle  and  had  not  come  back. 

Coming  up  from  the  bam  with  the  last  of  the  milk, 
Harry  paused  to  look  once  more  through  their  cattle 
which  had  come  down  to  the  fence  with  the  milk  cows 
and  which  now  stood  in  the  draw,  nibbling  the  alfalfa 
that  pushed  through  the  fence.  Rob  was  coming  across 
the  meadow,  a  hip-deep  green  expanse,  and  several 
times  he  stopped,  pulled  a  blossom,  and  glanced  criti- 
cally over  the  field. 

The  late  frost  that  Rob  had  dreaded  had  struck  the 
flat  only  the  week  befoia,  and  a  general  lack  of  water 
for  the  second  crop  would  make  hay  very  scarce  and 
high.  The  foothill  ranches,  being  on  the  slope,  had 
more  or  less  escaped  the  frost,  and  Rob's  alfalfa  had 
not  been  touched.  Looking  at  it  now,  swaying  quietly 
as  the  sea  at  full  tide  and  crested  with  its  foam  of 

205 


HOMESTEAD  EANCH 

purple  bloom,  it  was  hard  to  realize  that  there  were 
miles  of  parched  foothill  range  near  by,  where  cattle 
wandered,  searching  every  mouthful  of  grass. 

"That  hay  will  be  just  right  to  cut  on  the  Fourth," 
he  said,  when  at  last  he  dropped  wearily  on  the  porch 
step. 

"On  the  Fourth !  The  prairie's  supreme  holiday !  I 
thought  the  entire  valley  went  fishing  on  the  Fourth," 
said  Harry. 

"I  don't  believe  it  will  this  year.  Every  one  that's 
got  any  hay  at  all  will  cut  it  the  minute  it's  ready. 
Eobinson  intends  to  cut  a  few  days  later  than  I  do, 
and  he's  going  to  let  me  have  his  mower  first,  so  I've 
got  to  work  anyhow." 

"Well,  if  we've  got  to  work,  let's  celebrate  with  a  big 
dinner.  How  would  that  appeal  to  a  haying  crew? 
Ice  cream,  chicken  fricassee,  cherry  pie.  I  thought 
sol" 

Kob  smacked  his  lips  and  grinned  broadly. 
^'Doesn't  sound  as  if  you'd  get  much  fun  out  of  it, 
.though,"  he  said,  "cooking  for  a  bunch  of  haymakers." 

"Don't  worry.  The  prospect  of  company  well  re- 
pays the  cookery.  I  mean  to  have  the  women  folks,  too, 
and  the  children." 

The  dinner  party  now  became  their  chief  interest 
First  Harry,  then  Hob,  thought  of  some  detail  that 
would  contribute  to  its  perfecting,  and  the  two  worked 
like  a  couple  of  children  building  a  sand  castle.  On 
counting  the  number  of  expected  guests,  they  found  that 

206 


HOMESTEAD  EANCH 

they  could  scarcely  seat  them  all  at  table  at  once  in  the 
house;  but  Rob  had  lumber  on  hand  for  extra  cattle 
sheds,  and  from  that  he  built  under  the  balm  trees  a 
table  of  goodly  size  and  two  benches. 

The  day  that  Rob  went  over  for  the  mower  Harry 
cleaned  the  house.  Even  if  they  did  dine  outside,  the 
house  must  be  flawlessly  neailf  It  was  nearly  five 
o'clock  when  at  last  Harry  scrubbed  her  way  out  of  the 
door  and  down  the  porch  steps.  Behind  her  the  cabin 
twinkled  like  a  new  pan,  and,  when  she  had  shaken  out 
the  mop,  she  stretched  her  arms  and  sighed  with 
satisfaction. 

Then  suddenly  she  wheeled  round  and  listened. 
Somewhere  down  toward  the  creek  a  gun  had  spoken 
faintly. 

Instantly  Harry  was  another  creature.  Her  langour 
vanished ;  she  drew  up,  keen  and  alert ;  her  eyes  moved 
back  and  forth  along  the  line  of  willow  bushes  that 
screened  the  stream.  For  half  a  minute  she  watched, 
scarcely  breathing;  the  immense  silence  was  broken 
only  by  the  far,  faint  bell  note  of  a  mourning  dove. 
Had  she  only  imagined  that  other  sound  ?  No.  There 
it  was  again. 

Suddenly  two  figures  crept  into  view,  moving  cau- 
tiously, with  shotguns  held  ready.  She  put  two  fingers 
in  her  mouth,  drew  a  deep  breath,  and  then  a  screaming 
whistle  split  the  evening  calm. 

The  sportsmen  heard  it.  Harry  saw  them  stop  and 
look  her  way;  but,  seeing  only  a  girl,  they  evidently 

207 


HOMESTEAD  EANCH 

felt  safe,  for  they  started  forward  again,  with  guns 
cocked,  and  when  Harry  whistled  the  second  time  they 
paid  no  attention. 

"I  guess  I  know  what'U  make  you  go!"  cried  the 
girl,  and  she  ran  into  the  house.  She  came  out  again 
with  the  big  .32  rifle  under  her  arm  and  started  down 
the  path. 

She  had  gone  scarcely  a  hundred  feet  when  she  saw 
a  flock  of  sage  hens  rise.  At  the  same  instant  there 
was  a  rattle  of  shots,  and  two  birds  fell.  Harry  threw 
the  rifle  tor  her  shoulder,  aimed  high  and  fired.  In- 
stantly one  of  the  men  jumped  back,  shook  his  fist  to- 
ward her  and  shouted.  She  did  not  catch  the  words, 
but  it  made  no  difference,  anyhow.  He  knew  he  had 
no  business  inside  the  fence,  for  there  was  a  plainly 
printed  sign  warning  hunters  off.  She  moved  forward 
slowly,  expecting  to  see  the  sportsmen  get  over  the 
fence;  but  just  then  another  covey  of  birds  rose,  and 
simultaneously  both  men  fired. 

That  was  too  much.  Harry  raised  the  rifle  and  fired 
six  deliberate  shots.  She  aimed  high  over  the  heads 
and  well  to  either  side  of  the  trespassers,  so  that  there 
was  no  chance  of  hitting  them.  Nevertheless,  when  an 
automobile  rolled  out  from  the  willows  and  she  saw 
how  easily  she  might  have  hit  the  driver,  she  felt  a 
thrill  of  horror. 

She  stood  watching  while,  the  men  made  a  run  for  the 
car,  scrambled  aboard  and  went  swinging  out  of  sight 
up  the  road.  Then  slowly  she  turned  back  home.  Her 
knees  felt  shaky ;  she  drew  a  long,  unsteady  breath  and, 

208 


HOMESTEAD  KANCH 

to  her  surprise,  had  to  sit  down  on  the  ground  for  a 
moment. 

When  Rob  got  home  with  the  mower  he  brought  a 
general  acceptance  of  the  invitation  to  the  Fourth  of 
July  dinner.  "They  fell  for  it  as  if  they'd  been  ex- 
pecting it  any  time  in  the  last  three  years,"  he  re- 
ported. 

"It's  just  as  well,  then,  that  I  planned  to  have  Isita 
come  down  and  help  me,"  Harry  answered.  She  had 
decided  to  say  nothing  about  shooting  at  the  hunters. 
She  had  realized  by  this  time  what  a  terrible  risk 
she  had  taken,  and  she  knew  it  would  worry  Rob  to 
think  that  she  had  been  so  reckless. 

"What  on  earth  do  you  want  Biane's  girl  here  for  ?" 
he  asked.  "I  should  think  Mrs.  Robinson  could  help 
you  out" 

"She  would,  of  course ;  but  I  want  an  excuse  to  talk 
with  Isita  and  persuade  her  to  go  to  school  this  winter." 

"But  if  we're  feeding  cattle  here  this  winter,  you 
won't  be  teaching  down  on  the  flat" 

"Isita  can  go  to  school  just  the  same,  can't  she? 
Besides,  I  want  to  advise  her  to  find  a  place  where  she 
can  work  for  her  board  while  she's  going  to  school. 
Her  mother  would  send  her  if  she  weren't  afraid  of 
old  Biaae." 

"Better  go  slow.  If  you're  too  friendly,  we'll  have 
their  hogs  down  here  in  the  wheat  every  day  instead 
of  twice  a  week." 

But  Harry  insisted  on  having  Isita,  The  one  draw- 
back to  her  life  on  the  ranch  had  been  the  lack  of  girl 

209 


HOMESTEAD  EANCH 

friends,  and  her  interest  in  Isita  had  taken  the  place  of 
other  interests. 

As  she  rode  over  to  the  Bianes'  two  days  before  the 
dinner  party,  she  tried  to  frame  a  tactful  speech  in 
which  to  offer  the  other  girl  a  dress  to  wear ;  for  proba- 
bly she  had  nothing  suitable,  and  Harry  did  not  want 
her  to  refuse  to  come,  merely  because  she  lacked  a  dress. 

The  Biane  cabin  was  still  not  much  more  than  the 
"prove-up  shack''  that  the  original  owner  had  quitted. 
It  was  of  unpainted  boards  with  only  two  half  windows 
to  break  its  blank  walls,  and  seemed  scarcely  to  deserve 
the  name  of  "home."  And  still,  some  one  had  tried  to 
improve  the  place.  A  woven-wire  fence  enclosed  a 
small  garden  patch  in  which,  among  the  cabbages, 
Harry  recognized  bachelor's-buttons  and  poppies  grown 
from  seed  she  had  given  Isita.  Some  packing  boxes 
had  been  j&tted  together  for  a  chicken  house,  and  an 
attempt  had  even  been  made  to  fence  in  a  few  acres  of 
wheat;  but  the  live  stock — Joe's  hogs,  half  a  dozen 
sheep  and  several  thin  cows — wandered  loose,  rather 
to  the  detriment  of  the  crops  of  neighboring  ranchers. 

As  Harry  rode  up,  the  morning  sunshine  was  beam- 
ing over  all ;  on  the  chickens*  scratching  in  front  of  the 
cow  shed,  on  the  scarlet  poppies  beside  the  path.  Yet 
to  Harry  the  clutch  of  poverty  seemed  actually  visible. 
What  a  place  for  a  young  girl  to  grow  up  in !  Chopping 
wood,  plowing,  herding  sheep;  while  the  good-for- 
nothing  father  and  brother  went  fishing  and  hunting ! 

"I'd  like  to  take  her  to  stay  with  me  all  winter," 
Harry  thought  in  sympathetic  indignation.     "If  she 

210 


HOMESTEAD  KANCH 

had  half  a  chance,  she'd  make  something  worth  while 
of  herself.     How  thankful  I  am  for  my  life!" 

No  one  was  visible  about  the  place,  and  Harry 
knocked  twice  before  she  got  any  response.  Then  halt- 
ing steps  came  across  the  room  within,  the  door  was 
unlocked,  and  Isita's  mother  stood  in  the  narrow  open- 
ing. 

"Oh!  It's  Miss  Holliday.  The  hogs  down  bother- 
ing you  again  ?     I  told  that  Joe " 

"No,  indeed.  The  hogs  haven't  bothered  us  lately. 
I  came  to  ask  Isita  to  help  me  with  my  Eourth  of 
July  dinner." 

Harry  put  all  the  friendly  warmth  possible  into  her 
voice.  She  remembered  that  this  work-worn  woman 
who  faced  her  there  with  a  sort  of  defiant  anxiety  had 
been  a  New  England  farmer's  daughter,  and  that  many 
a  time  in  her  girlhood  she  must  have  helped  with  a  big 
company  dinner  in  honor  of  the  national  holiday. 

But  Mrs.  Biane  merely  drew  back  a  little  and  raised 
her  hand  in  abrupt  refusal.  "No,  thank  you.  It's 
kind  of  you  to  ask  Isita,  but  I  wouldn't  want  her  to 
go." 

She  began  to  close  the  door. 

"Oh,  please  don't  refuse !"  Harry  begged.  She  had 
no  intention  of  yielding  so  easily.  "It  would  be  doing 
me  a  real  favor  to  let  her  come.  It's  so  hard  to  do 
everything  alone,  and  Isita  is  the  only  young  girl  I 
know  well  enough  to  ask  to  help  me.'^ 

She  used  all  her  eloquence,  her  most  persuasive 
warmth,  but  even  while  she  talked  she  was  aware  of 

211 


HOMESTEAD  RANCH 

sometliiiig  in  the  woman's  silence,  a  sort  of  dread,  that' 
made  her  unwilling  to  let  Isita  go ;  but  at  last,  won  over 
by  Harry's  friendliness,  Mrs.  Biane  yielded,  saying  only 
that  Isita  must  be  home  before  dark. 

'Why  didn't  her  mother  want  her  to  come?"  Harry 
asked  herself  as  she  rode  away.  '^Why  are  they  so 
unfriendly?  There's  something  wrong  there.  No 
wonder  Isita  looks  scared  and  imhappy.  I  wonder 
where  she  was.  Off  herding  the  sheep,  probably. 
That  looks  like  one  of  them  now — near  our  fence,  as 
usual." 

A  glimpse  of  something  white  moving  in  the  sage- 
brush had  caught  her  eye.  She  rode  toward  it,  and 
discovered,  not  a  sheep,  but  a  young  calf. 

"What's  happened  to  these  scrub  cows?"  Harry  ex- 
claimed. "I  never  saw  anything  like  the  way  they 
desert  their  calves.  This  is  the  second  I've  found  left 
to  starve.  If  rustlers  were  busy,  they'd  shoot  the  cows 
and  carry  the  calves  off." 

Too  young  to  graze,  the  calf  was  gaunt  from  lack 
of  food  and  made  no  effort  to  escape  when  Harry  began 
to  drive  it.  Instead,  it  merely  stumbled  forward  a  few 
steps  and  stopped. 

"Go  on,"  she  ordered.  "I  couldn't  let  you  lie  out 
here  and  starve,  even  if  Ludlum  can.  How  any  man 
can  turn  a  herd  of  cattle  into  the  hills  and  not  know 
or  care  what  happens  to  them  for  weeks  and  months 
is  more  than  I  can  comprehend.  Come !  Move  along 
there." 

Thus  adjured,  and  helped  by  an  occasional  flick  of 
212 


HOMESTEAD  EANCH 

the  rawhide,  the  calf  moved  ahead  until  within  sight 
of  the  gate.  Harry  was  just  about  to  get  down  and 
open  it,  when  the  pony  gave  a  jerk  and  looked  side- 
wise,  and  Harry  had  a  glimpse  of  an  old  felt  hat 
moving  behind  a  ledge  of  lava  that  had  jutted  from  the 
scab  land.  Hiding  forward,  she  came  face  to  face  with 
Joe  Biane.  He  had  climbed  up  through  one  of  the 
fissures  and  stood  leaning  carelessly  against  the  rocks, 
with  his  hands  behind  him.  A  mischevious  smile 
curled  his  lips. 

"Morning,  Joe !"  she  said.  "Will  you  open  the  gate 
former 

Joe  did  not  move.  Astonished,  she  waited  a  moment. 
Then  she  noticed  that  he  was  hiding  his  hands.  Her 
lips  curved  in  a  comprehending  smile. 

"You  needn't  be  afraid!"  she  exclaimed.  "I  won't 
look  at  the  birds  you're  hiding.  I  realize  it's  useless 
to  try  to  protect  them  from  you." 

Joe  neither  answered  nor  moved.  His  derisive  grin 
widened;  he  looked  at  the  calf  and  inquired,  "Lost 
another  critter,  have  you  ?" 

"Another  calf  ?  This  isn't  ours  that  I  know  of.  I 
found  it  starving  outside,  and  I'm  bringing  it  in  to 
feed  it." 

"Sure.  Of  course  you  want  to  save  it."  Joe 
snickered,  and  then,  to  her  astonishment,  he  burst  into 
a  rude  laugh  and  moved  back  among  the  lava  ridges 
out  of  sight. 

Harry  watched  him.  He  had  shifted  his  hands 
quickly ;  nevertheless,  she  had  caught  a  gleam  of  some-, 

213 


HOMESTEAD  KANCH 

thing.  "His  shotgun,  of  course,"  she  decided.  She 
felt  oddly  irritated  by  his  impudent  stare  and  laughter. 
[What  did  he  mean  by  saying  "of  course"  she  wanted 
to  save  the  calf  ? 

"It's  just  his  fresh  way  of  talking,"  Bob  said  at  noon, 
when  she  had  described  the  incident  to  him.  "He  may 
think  you  expect  a  reward  from  Ludlum  for  feeding 
it.  It  may  be  ours,  of  course,  though  I  don't  see  where 
the  cow  can  be.  We'll  have  to  wait  until  to-night  when 
the  milk  cows  come  in  to  see  if  any  of  them  claim  this 
one.  It  looks  too  poor  to  be  ours,  I  think.  Any  time 
Ludlum's  riders  come  looking  for  strays,  we  can  show 
them  these  two  and  let  them  decide." 

"Don't  you  think  we  should  round  our  critters  up  and 
count  them?"  Harry  suggested.  "It's  a  long  time 
since  we've  been  over  the  yearlings  and  steers,  and  we 
may  be  losing  more  of  them.  Those  two  haven't  turned 
up  yet." 

"I  know,"  said  Rob,  with  a  sigh.  "I've  been  mean- 
ing to ;  but  there's  so  everlasting  much  to  do.  I  ought 
to  be  working  on  that  fill  for  the  reservoir  right  now. 
And  yet,  if  we  want  the  wheat  to  make  anything,  I've 
got  to  get  more  water  on  it  before  it's  too  late.  We 
want  to  save  every  bit  of  feed  inside,  too,  so  we  can't 
bring  all  the  stock  in  until  they've  cleaned  up  the  range. 
Once  haying's  over,  you  bet  I'm  going  to  dog  off  Lud- 
lum's scrubs  and  give  our  cattle  a  fair  chance  at  the 
range.  It's  a  little  too  much  to  have  him  grab  every- 
thing outside  and  hold  a  mortgage  on  our  land,  too." 

As  Eob,  sitting  flat  on  the  porch,  with  his  back  against 
214 


HOMESTEAD  KAI^CH 

the  house  and  his  feet  out  before  him,  talked  of  his 
plans,  Haxry  suddenly  noti'ced  two  men  who  were 
riding  toward  the  gate. 

"J^ow  what  can  they  want  ?"  she  said  as  they  came  in- 
side.    "I  haven't  a  thing  left  to  offer  them  for  dinner." 

"They're  not  coming  to  the  house,"  Kob  said. 
"They're  going  west.  Riders  hunting  strays,  I  guess." 
They  watched  in  silence  as  the  two  men  rode  slowly 
through  the  herd,  taking  note  of  the  cows  and  calves 
there;  then  the  riders  disappeared  round  the  butte. 

"They'll  probably  go  up  on  top  and  look  through 
the  cattle  there  and  then  drop  in  to  supper,"  Rob  sug- 
gested as  he  got  up  to  go  to  work. 

But  they  did  not  come.  It  was  not  imtil  the  Fourth 
of  July  that  the  men  appeared  again,  and  then  they 
oame  on  an  unexpected  errand. 


CHAPTER  XVII 

'T!  hope  Isita  comes  eaxly,"  said  Harry  on  the  morn- 
ing of  the  Fourth  as  she  dried  the  breakfast  dishes. 
"The  nearer  dinner  time  it  gets  the  more  things  there 
are  to  be  done  at  once." 

"I've  seen  you  turn  out  pretty  good  feed  all  by 
yourself,  when  a  bunch  of  people  have  come  in  un- 
expectedly," said  Ebb,  who,  in  honor  of  the  holiday, 
was  dawdling  about  for  fully  ten  minutes  instead  of 
hurrying  back  to  the  field.  "Those  surveyors,  now, 
that  lost  their  way  and  stayed  overnight.  Pretty  good 
grub,  I  say,  was  what  you  gave  them." 

"This  is  a  different  matter,"  said  Harry,  trying  not 
to  show  her  pleasure  at  Pob's  praise.  "This  is  a  dinner 
party,  you  no  savvy  ?" 

"I  see.  In  other  words,  you  want  the  grub  fit  to 
eat  off  that  hundred-and-sixty-l'even-piece  semiporce- 
lain,  rose-sprigged,  twelve-dollar-ninety-cents  et  cetery, 
et  cetery,  dinner  set  that  we  bought  out  of  the  mail- 
order catalogue, — how  long  ago? — and  that's  been  set- 
tin'  in  the  cupboard  ever  since." 

Rob  dodged  the  flapping  dishcloth  with  which  Harry 
chased  him  outdoors.  "All  right!"  he  called  back. 
"I'm  going  to  tell  'em  about  that  first  pie  you  tried 
to  make !" 

216 


HOMESTEAD  RA^CH 

"You'll  be  sorry  if  you  do,"  she  warned  him. 

She  was  still  smiling  at  the  remembrance  of  those 
first  days  in  the  new  country  when  she  saw  the  calico- 
clad  figure  of  Isita  coming  along  the  ditch  bank. 

"It's  awfully  good  of  you  to  help  me  out  to-day!" 
Harry  exclaimed  as  the  girl  came  up  the  path.  "I 
couldn't  possibly  have  done  it  all  alone." 

"I  wanted  to  come,"  Isita  answered  quickly. 

Something  imfamiliar  in  her  voice  made  Harry  look 
closer  at  her.  Ordinarily  Isita's  color  was  a  clear, 
pale  olive,  l^ow  her  cheeks  were  flushed,  her  eyes 
heavy,  and  she  breathed  quickly. 

"I  don't  believe  you're  well !"  Harry  exclaimed. 

"Sure,  I'm  well.  I  hurried  up  here  too  fast,  that's 
all,"  Isita  insisted,  and  asked  what  work  she  should  do 
first. 

She  was  evidently  eager  to  do  her  very  best,  and 
after  a  little  Harry  felt  encouraged  to  bring  out  the 
flowered  lawn  she  had  wanted  to  give  Isita,  She 
brought  it  from  her  room  where  it  had  been  lying, 
freshly  ironed. 

"See  here,"  she  said.  'Wouldn't  you  like  to  put 
this  on  ?  It's  too  small  for  me,  and  yet  it's  so  pretty 
I  can't  bear  to  throw  it  away.  It  will  be  nice  and  cool, 
too,  this  hot  day." 

Without  a  word  the  other  girl  took  the  dress;  but, 
though  her  lips  were  dumb,  she  looked  up  at  Harry, 
and  over  her  quiet  face  came  an  expression  so  vivid, 
so  glowing,  that  Harry  felt  as  if  a  dull-covered  book 

217 


HOMESTEAD  EANCH 

had  been  unexpectedly  flashed  open  at  a  splendid 
picture.  The  book  was  instantly  closed  again,  but  that 
one  glimpse  satisfied  her.  She  felt  as  happy  as  a 
child  dressing  a  new  doll  as  she  slipped  the  dress  over 
Isita's  thin  shoulders,  buttoned  it  and  then  stood  off 
to  admire  the  result.  Isita  dropped  her  eyelids  shyly 
and  smooth  the  bright  lawn  with  caressing  fingers. 

"ITow,  if  you'll  shell  the  peas,"  Harry  went  on 
as  if  nothing  unusual  had  happened,  "I'll  freeze  the 
ice  cream.  Here;  slip  on  this  big  apron.  You  want 
to  look  fresh  when  the  company  arrives." 

She  ran  down  cellar,  where  the  cream  was  waiting, 
together  with  a  tub  of  ice  that  Kob  had  cracked  for 
her ;  but  she  had  scarcely  begun  to  turn  the  freezer  when 
Isita  called: 

"There's  something  that  looks  like  comp'ny  coming 
up  the  road!" 

"]^ot  already!"  groaned  Harry,  and  rushed  up  to 
look. 

A  mile  away  a  cloud  of  dust  marched  forward  round 
a  slow-moving  light  wagon,  and  Harry  caught  glimpses 
now  and  then  of  white-frocked  children  on  the  back 
seat. 

"It's  the  Kobinsons,"  said  Harry  with  conviction. 
''They  live  nearest.  Well,  shell  peas  for  all  you're 
worth,  and  I'll  go  twirl  the  freezer.  Be  sure  to  call 
me  when  they  get  to  the  gate." 

And  down  she  dived  into  the  cellar  again. 

"They're  just  pullin'  up  to  the  gate,"  came  the 
218 


HOMESTEAD  RANCH 

STiminons  from  Isita  at  last,  "and  it  is  the  Kobinsons. 
There's  a  raft  of  young  ones." 

As  Harry  ran  down  the  path  to  meet  them,  Mrs. 
Eobinson,  crimpy-headed,  tall,  angular,  as  vividly  alive 
as  ever,  waved  her  hand  in  greeting. 

"Bully  for  you,  girlie !"  she  cried.  "You've  got  the 
flag  up.  As  I  says  to  pa  as  we  come  round  the  butte," 
she  went  on  without  a  pause  as  she  clambered  from  the 
wagon,  shook  her  skirts,  pushed  back  her  hat  and 
fanned  her  face  with  her  handkerchief,  "and  seen  that 
flag  floatin'  up  top  the  pole  there,  I  says,  'Well,  there's 
two  real  Americans  in  this  country,  anyhow.'  Eor 
a  hull  lot  of  us  Fourth  of  July  has  got  to  mean  a  big 
feed  and  sleepin'  it  off." 

"Mother  put  the  flag  in  my  trunk  when  I  was  leaving 
home.  She  said  we'd  need  it  to  remind  us  of — ^well, 
days  like  this,  when  we  were  too  busy  to  observe  them 
any  other  way.  I'm  afraid  if  she  hadn't  we'd  have  had 
the  big  dinner  and  nothing  else." 

"That's  something  to  have,  these  hard  times,  lemmo 
tell  you,"  put  in  Pa  Eobinson  from  the  rear  of  the 
wagon,  where  he  was  unloading  small  Kobinsons.  "Too 
late  to  look  for  rain  now,  and  there's  no  more  snow 
water  to  come  down  into  the  river.  Looks  to  me  like 
we'd  all  be  glad  to  get  red  beans  and  side  meat  next 
winter." 

"Say!  That's  true,  too,"  his  wife  chimed  in. 
'What's  more,  pretty  near  every  truck  patch  on  the  flat 
got  froze  down  that  last  freeze.     I  tell  you,  I'm  glad  us 

219 


HOMESTEAD  EAJSTCH 

folks  live  up  here  on  tlie  bench ;  even  if  thej  do  laugh 
at  us  for  campin'  on  the  rim  rock." 

"It  don't  look  like  you  had  any  June  freeze  up  here," 
said  Eobinson,  turning  to  Rob,  who  had  come  up  from 
the  bam.  "I  ain't  seen  no  finer  stand  of  alfalfa  on 
the  prairie." 

"It  would  be  a  long  sight  better  if  the  cattle  that 
are  running  loose  in  these  hills  hadn't  broken  in  so 
often,"  Rob  told  him. 

"Them  scabby  critters !"  Robinson  exclaimed  in  deep 
disgust.  "I  tell  you  right  now,  there's  got  to  be  some- 
thing done  to  get  rid  of  them  scrubs." 

"Well,  that's  certainly  so!  We've  come  to  the  end 
of  our  patience." 

"It's  time !"  Mrs.  Robinson  exclaimed.  "I'm  to  the 
end  of  mine  long  ago,  watchin'  you  men  folks  pomper 
up  yours  and  string  it  out  to  the  last  breath  before 
you'll  git  a  move  on." 

"Oh,  we  know  you,"  said  Pa  Robinson.  "You'd  be 
for  pullin'  the  fuse  out  by  the  tail  just  as  she's  goin'  off." 

"Let  them  have  it  out  alone,"  Harry  begged  Mrs. 
Robinson.  "I  want  you  to  come  and  look  at  my  wool. 
I've  washed  and  picked  it,  but  it  doesn't  begin  to  look 
so  nice  as  yours." 

When  the  older  woman  had  felt  the  creamy  strands 
that  Harry  had  kept  tied  in  a  sheet,  she  said,  "It  ain't 
the  same  sort  of  fleece.  Mine's  that  long,  wavy  Merino, 
and  this  is  Southdown.  Goin'  to  card  and  quilt  it 
yourself  ?" 

"I  did  want  to.  I  wanted  to  have  a  quilting  bee  this 
220 


HOMESTEAD  EANCH 

fall  and  have  my  quilts  made  up  in  the  old-time  pat- 
terns— sun  flower  or  morning  star.  Like  our  grand- 
mothers/    You  remember,  don't  you  ?" 

^^Do  I!  Ain't  I  seen  'em  back  home  on  the  spare- 
room  bed?  But  it  seems  we  ain't  got  the  time  to  do 
that  sort  of  work  out  here." 

"Let's  make  the  time,  then.  Start  the  fashion,  you 
and  I." 

"That's  right,  girlie.  All  we  need's  some  one  td  give 
us  a  shove  up  the  right  trail  and  we'll  keep  to  it. 
Like  you  startin'  the  girls  last  winter  in  that  camp- 
wagon — no,  camp-fire  club  at  school.  Vashti,  she's  a 
different  young  one  since — quit  thinkin'  about  her  hair 
ribbons  and  how  to  git  to  the  dances  downtown  every 
week  and  took  to  washin'  the  young  one's  faces  and 
readin'  the  receipt  book  instead.  And  that  reminds 
me.  She  sent  you  up  a  cake  she  made  herself;  red, 
white  and  blue  frosting — and  a  jar  of  jell.  I'll  run 
git  'em  out  the  hack  before  the  dogs  smell  'em."  At  the 
door  she  stopped  to  call  back,  "Here  comes  Con  Gard- 
ner and  Lance  Fitch !  Oh,  yes !  And  I  forgot  to  tell 
you — ^her  voice  fell — Zip  Miller  won't  be  over.  He's 
got  the  spotted  fever." 

"Oh,  how  dreadful!"  Harry  turned  from  a  survey 
cf  the  cooking  with  distress  in  her  eyes.  The  spotted 
fever  was  the  perpetual  menace  in  the  country  where 
sheep  grazed.  The  worst  of  it  was  that  no  one  knew 
the  exact  cause  or  cure ;  the  sufferers  died  or  recovered 
without  apparent  reason. 

"The  doctor's  went  over  every  day,"  Mrs.  Robinson 
221 


HOMESTEAD  RAl^CH 

went  on,  then  broke  off  with,  "111  tell  you  later;  you 
ain't  got  time  now.'' 

Harry  slipped  off  lier  apron  to  go  to  meet  the  latest 
guests.  "Keep  up  the  fire,  won't  you?"  she  said  to 
Isita  in  passing.     "That  chicken  is  cooking  just  right." 

"Don't  you  worry.  Miss  Harry,"  was  her  prompt  an- 
swer.    "I'll  watch  everything  as  careful  as  can  be." 

All  day,  while  engaged  in  the  exciting  task  of  having 
everything  ready  at  once,  in  seeing  that  Mrs.  Mosher's 
baby  had  its  warm  milk  and  nap  at  the  proper  time, 
in  managing  so  that  the  dinner  should  fall  between  two 
loads  of  hay,  Harry  found  Isita  always  on  hand,  alert 
and  responsive.  The  younger  girl  was  deeply  inter- 
ested in  Harry's  way  of  setting  the  table :  with  eyes  full 
of  wonder  she  gazed  at  the  white  tablecloth  spread 
symmetrically,  the  bowl  of  nasturtiums  in  the  center, 
the  fresh  rolls  laid  inside  the  neatly  folded  napkins. 
When  all  was  complete  and  they  stood  off  to  take  a 
final  view  of  the  table,  Isita  said  quietly,  "That's  the 
way  it  looks  for  Thanksgiving,  ain't  it  ?  Ma's  told  me 
about  that  big  time." 

Harry  looked  at  the  girl  with  pity  in  her  eyes. 
ITever  to  have  known  Thanksgiving  except  through 
hearing  about  it ! 

"You'll  go  back  some  day,"  Harry  said.  "Every 
one  must  eat  at  least  one  Thanksgiving  dinner  with 
grandmother  and  grandfather." 

She  stopped,  for  Isita's  eyes  were  fij^ed  upon  her 
with  a  bright,  far-off  gaze,  and  the  girl  was  breathing 
quickly  through  her  parted  scarlet  lips. 

222 


HOMESTEAD  RANCH 

"She  can't  be  well,"  Harry  thought  again  but  before 
she  could  speak,  Rob  came  in  to  ask  how  soon  dinner 
would  be  ready. 

"It's  ten  minutes  of  one  now,"  he  said,  as  his  eyes 
roved  eagerly  over  the  table,  so  cool  in  the  shade  of 
the  trees.  "Is  there  time  to  put  up  another  load  before 
we  eat?" 

"That  depends  on  how  fast  you  work,"  she  reminded 
him.  "It  won't  take  up  more  than  ten  minutes  to 
dish  up." 

Rob  promptly  disappeared  toward  the  corral  and  they 
heard  him  bawling,  "Come  on,  all  you  workin'  stiffs! 
She's  set!" 

At  last  they  were  all  gathered  round  the  table, 
and  Ha^rry's  reward  had  b^un  to  come  in  the  form  of 
murmurs  of  approval  from  the  men,  and  in  more  out- 
spoken compliments  from  the  women. 

"Why  on  earth  didn't  you  send  some  of  these  things 
to  the  county  fair  last  fall  ?"  Sally  Gardner  demanded 
wonderingly  as  she  tasted  one  dish  after  another. 

"Yes !  You'd  have  some  of  them  year-in  and  year-out 
blue-ribbon  grabbers  askin'  you  for  receipts,  all  right," 
said  Mrs.  Robinson  as  she  reached  for  a  third  helping 
of  salad. 

"That's  right,"  echoed  Lance  Fitch.  "  'Tain't  every 
lady  can  teach  school  'n'  cook  good,  too.  You  could 
be  makin'  your  sixty  a  month  right  along  ^in  summer, 
cookin'  for  the  hay  and  harvester  crews." 

"Sure!"  exclaimed  Pa  Robinson.  "What  do  ye 
223 


HOMESTEAD  EAIsTCH 

mean,  HoUiday,  by  keepin'  this  sister  of  yours  hid  out 
in  these  here  hills  all  summer?" 

^^How  do  you  expect  me  to  ranch  without  her  to 
ride  the  fences  for  me,  I'd  like  to  know  ?" 

"Better  look  out,  or  some  fancy  cow  puncher'll  ride 
off  with  her  for  keeps.     Then  wha^U  you  be  ?" 

''He  kin  do  like  Kit  McCarty  done/'  Lance  said; 
''write  to  a  mail-order  house  and  tell  'em,  they'd  send 
him  everything  to  fit  up  house  with.  Couldn't  they 
send  him  a  wife  to  keep  his  house  along  with  the  rest 
of  it?" 

"^NTothing  stirring,"  declared  Eob.  "She  might  be 
like  this  company  dinner  set  that  spends  most  of  the 
year  sitting  up  in  the  closet,  looking  pretty  and  doing 
nothing  else." 

"If  he  ain't  as  mean  as  a  Scotchman,"  began  Mrs. 
Kobinson,  when  a  voice  from  outside  made  them  all 
jump. 

"What's  that  about  Scotchmen?"  it  asked.  "My 
mother  was  Scotch,  and  I'm  thinkin'  of  goin'  into  sheep 
myself  along  with  all  the  other  canny  Scotch  laddies 
in  Idyho,  if  the  cowmen  get  any  meaner." 

It  was  Chris  Garnett.  He  had  ridden  up  unheard 
and  was  peering  at  the  company  through  the  screen  of 
branches. 

"Sorry  to  be  late,"  he  said  apologetically,  when  he 
was  seated  and  the  women  were  filling  his  plate. 
"Some  folks'll  tell  you,  'Them  forest  rangers  don't 
have  a  thing  to  do  but  ride  to  keep  from  gettin'  too 
fat,  and  go  fishin'.'     Fact  is,  there's  a  movin-picture 

224 


HOMESTEAD  EANCH 

mix-up  on  the  reserve  most  of  the  time.  Right  now 
it's  these  scrubs.  Can't  keep  'em  out  There's  scrap- 
pin'  every  day  along  of  the  men  that  own  pastur'  in 
the  reserve  and  the  riders  for  the  Idyho  Cattle  Com- 
p'ny  and  the  rustlers  that's  tryin'  to  pick  up  a  few 
head  between  times." 

"It's  a  cinch  somebody's  rustling  calves,"  Rob  said. 
"We've  lost  two  yearlings  ourselves." 

"I'll  rustle  a  few  myself  pretty  soon,"  said  Lance 
Eitch,  scowling  at  the  mound  of  potpie  and  mashed 
potatoes  submerged  in  a  lava  stream  of  gravy  that  he 
was  demolishing.  "If  these  outside  capitalists  are 
going  to  shove  their  starved  critters  in  and  steal  our 
range,  I'll  wise  'em  some." 

"!N'ow  you're  talkin',"  Pete  Mosher  broke  in  eagerly. 
"Them  rich  fellers  went  into  cattle  just  for  a  notion; 
becus  beef's  goin'  up.  Us  ranchers  live  in  these  hills, 
and  our  livin'  depends  on  the  grazin'  in  'em.  Who's 
got  the  best  right  to  it — them  capitalists,  or  us  ?    Hey  ?" 

As  he  asked  it,  his  sunburned  blue  eyes  darted  from 
one  guest  to  another.  Rob  was  the  first  to  answer  him. 
"There's  one  way  to  get  rid  of  these  scrubs — put  the 
herd  law  through." 

"Herd  law!"  And  now  every  one  talked  at  once. 
"In  a  free  range  country  ?  Where'd  we  be  ourselves  ?" 
"The  stockmen'd  fight  it  while  the  world  stands." 
"You'd  have  the  whole  of  Camas  Prairie  goin'  to  law." 

'Wait  a  second,"  Rob  broke  in;  "let  me  explain. 
There's  not  a  section  of  land  along  the  north  side  of 
these  hills  that  isn't  homesteaded,  is  there,  at  least  up 

225 


HOMESTEAD  EAl^CH 

to  where  the  hills  get  too  steep  for  cattle  to  graze? 
And  if  all  of  us  ranchers  along  here  made  an  agree- 
ment not  to  fight  one  another  if  our  cattle  made  trouble, 
but  to  settle  it  peaceably,  then  we  could  keep  the  range 
for  ourselves  and  keep  out  the  big  fellows,  Ludlum  and 
the  rest  that  couldn't  afford  to  herd  their  stock  all  sum- 
mer." 

He  talked  on  fast  and  eagerly,  making  mistakes  and 
correcting  himself,  not  saying  half  that  he  wanted  to; 
but  he  put  the  idea  before  them  convincingly,  and 
before  the  discussion  ended  they  had  decided  to  take 
action  toward  getting  a  herd  law  through  for  that 
district. 

While  the  argument  was  at  its  hottest,  Mrs.  Eobin- 
son  leaned  over  and  whispered  hoarsely :  "Say,  girlie, 
if  you  say  so,  I'll  go  pick  me  some  of  them  peas  you  said 
I  could  have.  The  sun's  wearin'  west,  and  fust  you 
know  it'll  be  milkin'  time  and  us  havin'  to  hit  the  trail." 

"Go  ahead,"  urged  Harry.  "I'll  go  see  where  Isita 
is  and  start  the  dishes." 

"Is  that  the  Portugee  girl  you're  talking  about?" 
asked  Sally  Gardner.  "I  saw  her  go  off  across  the 
meadow  yonder  while  you  and  Mrs.  Eobinson  were 
fetchin'  on  the  ice  cream.'^ 

Isita  had,  in  fact,  slipped  away  home  without  a  word 
to  any  one. 

"Never  mind,  girlie,"  Ma  Eobinson  consoled  her; 
"here's  four  of  us  women  that's  been  broke  to  dishwater 
and  the  clatter  of  pans  long  enough  not  to  shy  or  balk 
at  'em.     That  so,  Sally  Gardner?     Come  on,  then?" 

226 


HOMESTEAD  RANCH 

When,  shortly  after  six  o'clock,  Harry,  Rob  and  Gar- 
nett  stood  at  the  corral  gate  and  watched  the  visitors 
out  of,  sight,  Harry  laughed  and  sighed  together. 

"I've  had  the  best  time  in  years,"  she  said.  "I  only 
wish  we  lived  nearer  folks,  so  I  could  give  a  party 
oftener." 

"Looks  like  you're  goin'  to  have  some  more  comp'ny 
to-day/'  Gamett  remarked  and  nodded  toward  the 
lane. 

Harry  turned  and  saw  two  riders  coming  toward  the' 
bam.  "They're  welcome  to  what  there  is.  There's 
at  least  a  chicken  wing  left." 

"I'll  see  what  they  want,"  Rob  said  as  he  went  to 
meet  them. 

Gamett  and  Harry  looked  after  him  carelessly,  and 
then  went  on  with  their  pleasant  chatter.  But  a  sud- 
den burst  of  angry  voices  from  the  bam  silenced  them 
abruptly.     Gamett  unconsciously  tautened. 

"Guess  I'd  better  step  down  there,"  he  said.  "Looks 
to  me  like  the  buckaroos  I  met  huntin'  strays.  Might 
be  I  could  set  'em  straight." 

"I  might  as  well  go,  too,"  Harry  decided.  She  had 
heard  her  brother  say,  'Trove  it  if  you  can.  It's  ab- 
surd on  the  face  of  it." 

"Do  they  think  we've  been  stealing  their  critters?'^ 
she  asked  in  a  low  voice  as  they  hurried  forward,  and 
she  thought  of  the  calf  she  had  brought  inside  to  feed. 
"It's  more  likely  some  one  has  been  stealing  ours.  The 
last  time  we  went  through  the  herd  two  were  missing, 
and  that  was  quite  a  while  ago." 

227 


HOMESTEAD  EA]S"CH 

''Don't  tell  them  so,"  Gamett  cautioned  her;  'let 
them  do  the  talkin'.'^ 

At  sound  of  their  steps  Kob  turned  to  them,  "See 
here,  Harry.  These  fellows  say  youVe  shot  one  of 
their  cows  and  run  in  her  calf.  They  say  theyVe  had 
positive  information  from  a  fellow  who  saw  you  shoot." 

Harry  turned  white.  Eor  a  second  there  was  no 
sound  except  the  creaking  of  a  saddle  as  the  ponies 
breathed.  The  two  vaqueros,  one  a  half-breed  Indian, 
the  other  the  pink-faced  man  whom  Harry  had  met  on 
the  range,  stared  at  her  fixedly.  Garnett  apparently 
kept  his  eyes  fixed  on  space,  but  he  missed  nothing. 

Fear  had  not  blanched  Harry^s  cheeks.  Anger  had, 
and  the  next  instant  they  flushed  scarlet.  "Who  saw 
me  shooting?"  she  cried.  "I  ha^ven't  had  a  gun  in 
my  hands  this  summer  except  to  warn  poachers  off 
our  land." 

"Poachers  ?"  the  pink-faced  rider  echoed  inquiringly, 

"Yes ;  hunters  who  come  inside  our  fence  to  steal  sage 
hen  and  grouse.  They  won't  stop  merely  for  being 
asked.  You  have  to  fire  a  rifle  over  their  heads  to 
frighten  them.  Then  they  understand  that  'no-shoot- 
ing' signs  mean  what  they  say." 

Her  voice  trembled  a  little^  but  she  held  her  head 
defiantly  and  faced  the  "cow-puncher"  with  steady  eyes. 
He  merely  shook  his  head  and  smiled  incredulously. 

^'You  shore  are  brave,  ma'am.  Tother  day  you  was 
doggin'  off  Ludlum's  stock  like  you  owned  the  hull 
range,  and  you  told  me  you'd  shoot  every  one  of  'em 
now — that  is,  if  it  suited  ye ;  and  now  you're  gunnin'  for 

228 


HOMESTEAD  EAJ^CH 

white  men  becus  they're  pickin'  up  a  few  birds  what 
ain't  yours;  nohow.  I  guess  you  wouldn't  ;find  nO 
trouble  pluggin'  a  cow  critter  if  you  thought  you  could 
rustle  her  calf." 

"Is  that  so,  Harry  ?"  Kob  asked  quietly.  "Did  you 
threaten  to  shoot  Ludlum's  stock  ?" 

"I  did.  After  what  this  rider  threatened,"  she  ad- 
mitted, and  related  the  whole  occurrence.  "As  for 
bringing  in  a  deserted  calf,"  she  added.  "I'm  per- 
fectly willing  to  acknowledge  I  did  it.  I  wasn't  going 
to  leave  it  to  starve,  no  matter  whose  it  was.  When  you 
take  it  back,  you  might  ask  Ludlum  to  return  our  steers 
that  his  scrubs  have  taken  off  with  them;  but  when  it 
comes  to  shooting  a  cow,  his  or  anybody's,  well,  I 
didn't.     That's  aU." 

"Looks  like  you'd  have  to  hunt  your  critters  further 
on."  Gamett's  words  showed  his  relief,  and  Eob's 
sudden  smile  told  how  great  his  suspense  had  been; 
but  that  relief  lasted  only  a  moment. 

"I'd  like  to  believe  you,  ma'am,"  the  "cow-puncher" 
said  brusquely,  "but  we  done  seen  the  cow  with  our  own 
eyes.  Yes.  She's  layin'  out  yonder  and  her  hind 
quarters  cut  off  and  the  hide  clean  gone,  so  we  can't 
prove  nothin'  by  the  brand;  but  I  know  her  turned- 
down  horns  and  her  slit  ears.  She's  got  a  bullet  hole 
through  her  neck,  too,  sure's  I'm  livin'." 

"Say !"  Garnett  broke  in,  and  his  voice  was  short  and 
hard.  "Who's  the  scissorbill  you  fellows  been  listen- 
in'  to?  Why  didn't  you  bring  him  along  to  prove  all 
this?" 

229 


HOMESTEAD  EAISTCH 

"Oh,  it's  easy  enougli  to  fetch  him  when  we  want 
him,"  Pink-face  retorted  tranquilly.  "You  know  him, 
all  right.     Portugee  Joe?     Just  east  of  you?     Sure." 

"Joe  Biane!"  Harry  exclaimed.  "Are  you  going 
to  take  his  word  against  mine?  You  can't  know  him 
very  well." 

"  'Tain't  a  case  of  knowin'  nor  trustin',"  Pink-face 
answered.  "Not  chiefly,  is  what  I  mean  to  say.  We 
ast  Joe  had  he  seen  any  cow  critters  off  by  theirselves, 
alive  or  dead,  that  is  chiefly ;  and  he  said  as  how  he  seen 
you  shoot  this  here  one.  You  was  shootin'  at  some 
bird  hunters  inside  your  fence,  and  he,  that  is,  Joe  now, 
he  was  f  ootin'  it  acrost  the  scab  land  and  seen  you  plunk 
that  there  cow  we're  tellin'  you  about.     Yes." 

There  was  a  queer  silence.  Then  Pink-face  contin- 
ued :  "There  ain't  no  use  gassin'  here.  We  got  a  war- 
rant for  the  lady's  arrest  and  we  mint's  well  be  movin' 
to  town  is  what  I  would  say  chiefly.  Portugee  Joe  said 
he'd  be  there  to  witness  for  us  in  the  morning." 


CHAPTER  XVIII 

Rob  refused  flatly  to  let  Harry  start  that  evening  for 
Soldier,  where  the  warrant  summoned  her  to  appear 
before  the  justice  of  the  peace,  and  the  "cow-punchers" 
finally  agreed  to  sleep  at  the  ranch.  After  they  had 
taken  their  saddle  blankets  out  to  the  haystack  for  the 
night,  Harry  described  to  Rob  and  Gamett  exactly 
what  had  happened  to  bring  about  the  shooting.  It 
was  hard  to  tell.  The  more  she  explained  to  those  two 
boys  sitting  silently  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  table 
the  more  complete  did  her  disgrace  seem  to  her.  At 
the  end  Rob  laughed  a  little  and  said : 

"Looks  like  it  wouldn't  be  safe  to  leave  any  firearms 
round  after  this." 

Even  Gamett,  Harry  realized  with  a  sore  heart,  had 
nothing  to  say  except  a  growl  about,  "Better  men  have 
hung  than  them  cheap  skates  that  call  theirselves  sports- 
men. Sportsmen !  I'd  shoot  a  few  pinheads  like  them 
some  day  myself,  and  it  wouldn't  be  no  accidental 
shootin',  neither." 

By  Rob's  advice  Harry  gave  as  brief  an  account  of 
the  affair  as  possible  to  the  justice  of  the  peace ;  she  em- 
phasized the  fact  that  she  had  brought  two  of  Ludlum's 
deserted  calves  inside  to  feed,  and  that,  because  Ludlum 
kept  no  cowboys  to  look  after  the  herds  in  their  vicinity, 

231 


HOMESTEAD  KANCH 

there  was  always  a  bunch  of  cattle  trailing  round  the 
fence,  trying  to  get  in. 

All  that,  unfortunately,  failed  to  impress  the  justica 
He  eyed  the  girl  with  mild,  expressionless  eyes,  sen- 
tenced her  to  pay  for  the  cow,  and,  with  curt  humor, 
advised  her  next  time  to  "Look  before  she  shot  and  then 
not  shoot." 

Ek)b,  of  course,  had  to  pay  her  fine  and  costs.  He 
did  it  without  a  word,  but  Harry  knew  only  too  well 
that  every  one  of  those  forty  dollars  meant  just  so  much 
less  money  for  hay  when  winter  came.  Gamett  left 
them  and  returned  to  the  reserve.  For  the  first  time 
since  they  had  known  him,  Harry  felt  relieved  to  have 
him  go.  It  was  hard  enough  to  face  the  long  ride  in 
her  brother's  company,  so  desperately  did  she  want  to 
be  alone  in  her  depression.  Beneath  Rob's  talk  of  the 
other  things,  she  could  feel  hisi  disappointment  in 
her. 

When  they  reached  Robinson's,  Rob's  voice  broke  in 
on  these  dreary  musings.  "If  you  don't  mind  stop- 
ping, I  believe  I'll  go  in  and  see  Robinson  about  that 
herd  law.  Old  man  Saltus  says  he  thinks  that  we  can 
put  it  through." 

Harry  assented  wearily.     "I'd  be  glad  of  a  rest." 

"Of  course!"  Rob  looked  at  her  quickly.  "I  ought 
to  have  known  you  were  dog-tired.  Why  not  stay  over- 
night ?"  he  urged.  "You've  had  two  mighty  hard  days 
and  need  a  good  rest.     I  can  get  along  all  right." 

Mrs.  Robinson  welcomed  them  with  unfailing  hospi- 
tality.    Almost  without  their  knowing  how  it  was  done, 

232 


HOMESTEAD  KAKCH 

their  horses  had  been  led  away  to  water,  and  they 
themselves  were  seated  on  the  shady  back  porch.  Mrs. 
Robinson  took  it  as  entirely  a  matter  of  course  that  they 
should  stay  to  supper. 

"You  must  of  went  by  right  smart  early  this  morn- 
ing." Her  voice  soared  from  the  kitchen  above  the 
clatter  of  dishes  and  the  surflike  hiss  of  frying  pans, 
while  she  tacked  back  and  forth  from  stove  to  table. 
"Pa  sent  Denny  over  to  git  Rob  to  come  help  with  the 
hayin';  he  reckoned  he'd  begin  to  cut  to-day  'stead  of 
waitin'.  And  say!  Isita  has  got  the  spotted  fever. 
You  know  you  said  she  was  poorly  yestiddy.  How  do 
I  know  ?  Becus  Denny  went  on  up  there  huntin'  Rob ; 
thought  he  might  of  druv  Joe's  hogs  home  or  some  such. 
Come  along  in,  everybody.     She's  all  set." 

Isita  sick !  For  the  moment  at  least  that  news  diver- 
ted Harry's  thoughts  from  her  own  troubles.  "Have 
they  had  the  doctor,  do  you  know  ?"   she  asked. 

"None  of  us  ain't  seen  him,  if  they  have." 

Harry  felt  pretty  sure  that  the  Bianes  had  not  sent 
for  any  assistance.  If  it  had  not  been  for  the  ride  to 
Soldier,  she  would  probably  have  gone  up  to  see  how 
Isita  was  and  have  insisted  on  having  the  doctor  at  once. 
The  spotted  fever  was  short  and  sharp,  sometimes  a 
matter  of  hours  only. 

Like  most  buoyant  people,  Harry's  spirits  went  cor- 
respondingly low  when  she  was  depressed,  and  now, 
morbidly  self-conscious  over  one  blunder,  she  felt  her- 
self largely  to  blame  for  Isita's  neglected  condition. 

"I   declare,"   Mrs.   Robinson   said  suddenly,    "you 
233 


HOMESTEAD  EAITCH 

ain't  eatin'  a  thing,  girlie.  You'd  oughten't  to  of  took 
that  long  ride  this  hot  weather;  and  after  workin'  so 
hard  yestiddj  and  all.  You're  clean  drilled  down. 
That's  right,  go  along  out  on  the  porch  and  I'll  bring 
your  tea  to  you.  It's  hot  enough  in  here  to  fry  fat 
out  of  an  iceberg." 

Stammering  an  excuse,  Harry  pushed  away  from  the 
table,  furious  with  herself  for  the  tears  that  had  sud- 
denly blinded  her.  In  another  moment,  she  felt,  she 
would  have  disgraced  herself  by  sobbing  aloud.  Mrs. 
Robinson's  sympathy  was  the  one  thing  that  her  aching 
heart  could  not  resist. 

Eob  had  an  instinctive  idea  that  under  the  pressure 
of  kindly  solicitude,  Harry  would  relate  the  whole 
affair  to  their  neighbor;  and  he  knew  that  if  she  did 
she  would  get  pungent  advice  and  wholesome  consolation 
from  that  sagacious  friend.  He  rode  home  after  sup- 
per, satisfied  that  Harry  would  be  herself  in  another 
twenty-four  hours. 

It  turned  out  as  he  hoped.  Mrs.  Robinson  had 
divined  that  something  more  than  fatigue  had  affected 
the  girl.  As  she  was  showing  Harry  to  her  room  she 
put  her  hand  on  the  girl's  shoulder  and  said  gently, 
"Yestiddy  was  just  one  lick  too  much  for  you,  wa'n't 
it,  child?" 

"It  wasn't  that.  Oh,  it  wasn't !"  Harry  began ;  and 
then,  dropping  her  face  on  her  hands,  she  sobbed 
miserably. 

But  oh,  the  relief  of  having  it  out!  'Of  telling  some 
one  who  could  and  would  say  exactly  what  she  thought 

2U 


HOMESTEAD  RAXCH 

of  it  all — ^why  Harry's  firing  a  rifle  merely  in  warn- 
ing had  been  so  reprehensible.  That  was  exactly  what 
Mrs.  Eobinson  did  tell  her. 

^^It  took  the  Almighty  consid'able  time  to  make  dirt 
enough  out  of  these  lava  buttes  to  grow  crops  on,  and 
you'll  learn,  if  you  live  in  this  country,  that  youVe 
got  to  have  some  of  the  Almighty's  patience  to  wear 
down  these  here  varmints  that  call  themselves  men  into 
the  dust  ordinary  humans  are  made  of.  I  know  how 
you  feel  about  your  sage  hens  gettin'  shot  out  Didn't 
I  ride  clear  to  Shoshone  once  behind  a  wagonload  of 
them  'sportsmen,'  a  gun  in  my  fist  ready  to  drop  the 
first  guy  that  lifted  his  eyebrow  ?    I  did. 

"They'd  cut  our  fence  and  druv  in  onto  the  wheat 
and  was  wadin'  round  in  it  like  it  was  wash  water. 
They  laughed  at  me  when  I  ordered  'em  out — that  is, 
until  they  seen  I  had  the  drop  on  'em.  I  run  'em  all 
into  court  in*  Shoshone  and  seen  'em  pay  their  fines 
good  and  proper.  Wasn't  that  all  right,  you'll  say? 
Looks  so.  But  them  four  men  has  spent  their  lives, 
you  may  say,  gettin'  even  with  us.  Nothin'  you  could 
catch  'em  in,  just  sneaky  things ;  like  staalin'  our  range, 
cuttin'  our  fences,  runnin'  off  our  stock  with  theirs  in 
the  round-up,  scatterin'  dope  with  the  salt  wher^  our 
stook  would  get  it.  I  wisht  I  had  two  bits  right  now 
for  every  dollar  they  lost  us.  I  tell  you,  you  never 
get  nowhere  in  this  country  tryin'  to  bust  up  a^lava  butte 
with  a  sulphur  match." 

"But  surely  We  should  do  something  to  protect  the 
"birds — and  ourselves!"     Harry  protested.     "I  think 

235 


HOMESTEAD  RAN-OH 

it's  our  duty  to  fight  the  poachers.     Indeed,  I  do!" 

The  old  spirit  rang  in  her.  voice,  shone  in  her  eyes, 
still  dim  from  crying.  The  comers  of  Mrs.  Robinson's 
mouth  twitched  in  fellow  feeling.  She  saw  that  Harry 
had  come  to  the  place  every  one  comes  to  in  the  splen- 
did morning  ride  of  youth ;  the  place  where  the  fight  is 
waging  between  right  and  wrong,  and  into  which  every 
one  in  his  turn  wants  to  plunge  with  a  shout  and  a 
hailstorm  of  blows. 

"You  can't  never  save  the  birds  with  bullets,"  she 
said,  "not  if  you  was  to  plug  every  game  hog  in  the 
land  full  of  lead." 

"But  what  are  we  to  do  ?"  cried  Harry.  "They  laugh 
at  mere  words." 

"There's  one  they  won't  laugh  at  more  than  twice: 
law." 

"Law!  Isn't  there  a  law  against  trespassing  now, 
and  against  shooting  out  of  season?" 

"That's  right;  but  once  all  the  folka  stand  together 
iand  show  they  mea*n  to  have  sure-enough  law,  there'll 
be  an  end  to  poachin'  and  game  hogs  and  all  the  rest  of 
the  pizen-mean  lawlessness  that  makes  the  rancher's 
life  a  burden." 

"Just  as  the  herd  law  would  rid  us  of  the  big  stock- 
men," added  Harry.  "With  their  herds  gone  off  these 
hills,  there  would  be  plenty  of  feed  for  all  our  cattle." 

"That's  what!  It's  got  to  come  same's  the  spring 
break-up.  It'll  be  some  satisfaction  to  know  we  give 
her  the  first  shove,  too." 

As  Mrs.  Robinson  in  her  droll  way  made  everything 

236 


HOMESTEAD  RANCH 

clear  to  the  girl,  Harry  felt  her  soul  being  smoothed  out 
like  a  piece  of  crumpled  paper.  When  Mrs.  Robin- 
son said  good  night,  she  reached  out  impulsively,  put 
her  arms  round  her  and  exclaimed,  "You're  so  good  to 
me!" 

Her  mind  was  still  tranquil  when  she  rode  home  the 
next  day.  It  made  her  feel  that,  in  spite  of  Ludlum's 
methods  she  was  going  to  come  out  ahead  in  the  end. 

Unfortunately,  her  confidence  received  a  setback  the 
moment  she  reached  homa  Rob  was  just  unsaddling 
and  looked  as  if  he  had  been  up  all  night. 

"What's  happened  ?"  she  inquired  quickly.  "Aren't 
you  going  over  to  help  Robinson  ?" 

"I've  got  to  get  things  straightened  out  here  first.  I 
don't  know  what  happened  last  night  but  something 
scared  the  critters  up  in  the  hills.  They  sure  were 
stampeded — such  a  bellowing  and  pounding  of  hoofs 
when  they  went  down  the  lane  and  through  the  fence 
you  never  heard.  There  wasn't  any  use  getting  up. 
IsTothing  short  of  a  rifle  bullet  in  each  one  of  their 
crazy  heads  would  have  stopped  them.  Somebody  else 
must  have  thought  as  I  did,  though,  for  I  heard  a  shot.'^ 

"But  Rob !  What  would  any  one  start  shooting  up  a 
herd  at  night  for  ?  Could  it  have  been  hunters  camp- 
ing up  above  ?" 

"More  likely  somebody  with  orders  to  get  our  critters 
on  the  run,  and  they  made  a  mess  of  it  and  scared  the 
other  fellow's." 

'^ut  there's  no  one  round  us  that  we  know  of;  ex- 
cept Ludlum." 

2a7 


HOMESTEAD  EANOH 

"Did  I  say  there  was?  All  I  do  say  is  that  I'm 
going  to  find  out  who  stampeded  our  critters  and  scat- 
tered 'em  all  over  the  county.  Every  one  of  them 
went  out  last  night.  Some  of  'em  cam.e  back  this 
morning,  and  I  rounded  up  a  lot  in  the  hills  over  east ; 
but  there's  three  or  four  steers  clean  gone." 

He  threw  the  saddle  over  the  peg  and  led  the  tired 
pony  off  to  water. 

For  half  a  minute  Harry  stared  after  him,  overcome. 
The  chaos  of  the  last  two  days  seemed  about  to  boil  up 
once  more  and  engulf  her.  No!  That  it  should  not. 
She  stiffened  resolutely.  It  was  the  very  time  when 
she  needed  every  bit  of  calmness  that  she  could  muster. 
Pulling  Hike  round,  she  trotted  after  Kob. 

"See  here,  Bobby,"  she  began  briskly,  "you  must  get 
back  to  help  with  Kobinson's  haying,  and  I'm  going  out 
to  hunt  those  steers.  Yes,  I  am  now,"  as  he  began  ob- 
jecting. "There's  nothing  to  be  done  here  that  can't 
wait,  and  I  shall  thoroughly  enjoy  getting  our  critters 
out  of  Ludlum's  clutches  before  he's  had  a  chance  to 
ship  them  to  the  stockyards." 

"Oh,  he  wouldn't  do  that !  He  wouldn't  risk  getting 
into  trouble.  What  he  can  do  is  to  keep  them  moving 
until  there's  not  much  chance  of  our  finding  them  again. 
If  we  lose  our  stock  we  can't  pay  his  loan  and  he  takes 
your  land.  That's  what  he's  after.  A  water  hole  and 
green  meadow  like  this  is  a  gold  mine  to  a  man  with 
so  much  stock.  Ludlum's  strictly  'honest,'  but  business 
is  business  with  him,  and  he's  waiting  for  the  chance  to 
close  down  on  us." 

238 


HOMESTEAD  EANOH 

"He'll  never  get  tlie  chance,  never !"  cried  Harry. 

"I'm  afraid  you'll  be  disappointed  if  you  think  tell- 
ing him  so  will  stop  him.  If  you  don't  want  to  iose 
your  land,  you'd  better  have  the  cash  handy  when  our 
friend  comes  round  this  fall  to  see  how  things  are 
getting  on." 

Harry  made  no  answer.  She  knew  that  Hob  was 
right.  Power,  not  arguments  about  right  and  wrong, 
was  what  Ludlum  respected.  What  she  must  do  was 
to  see  to  it  that  they  lost  not  another  head  of  stock 
and  that  the  herd  got  all  the  grazing  that  belonged  to 
it.  Then  she  could  sell  at  a  better  price  and  renew 
the  loan  without  having  to  sacrifice  her  entire  herd. 

"I'll  start  out  this  very  afternoon,"  she  said  once 
more  as  Rob  was  leaving  for  Robinson's,  "and  get  the 
census,  as  you  may  say,  of  every  critter  hereabouts. 
I'm  going  over  first  to  see  how  Isita  is ;  and  by  the  way, 
Bobby,  if  any  one  is  going  to  town  while  you're  over 
yonder,  have  them  bring  back  some  oranges  for  Isita, 
and  also  telephone  in  to  the  doctor.  If  they  haven't 
sent  for  him,  tell  him  to  come  over,  anyhow.  I'll  pay 
him  myself,  if  they  won't." 

Rob  promised  without  comment.  How  like  Harry 
it  was  to  offer  to  pay  the  doctor,  and  quite  ignore 
the  fact  that  she  had  not  a  cent  in  the  bank.  It  amused 
him,  even  while  he  was  glad  that  she  could  so  quickly 
rise  from  her  depression. 

Harry  herself  realized  what  she  had  done  only  when 
she  was  on  her  way  to  the  Bianes'.  "What  must  Bobby 
think  of  me?"  she  exclaimed.     "I  forgot,  of  course. 

239 


HOMESTEAD  EAISTOH 

that  I  hadn't  a  cent.  "Never  mind.  I  will  pay,  as 
soon  as  I  sell  my  beef  critters.  O  me!  It  begins  to 
look  as  if  I'd  have  to  sell  them  all  to  pay  the  four 
hundred  and  twenty-two  dollars,  interest  and  capital, 
I'll  owe  on  the  stock  in  December,  besides  what  I'll 
have  to  have  for  hay  for  them.  Well,  I've  'til  De- 
cember first  to  raise  the  money,  and  that's  nearly  four 
months  yet." 

All  along  the  two  miles  of  road  to  the  Biane  cabin 
she  was  on  the  watch  for  grazing  cattle,  hoping  to  see 
their  curly  white-face  and  red-polled  steers  among  them. 
All  the  good  feed  had  been  eaten  off  close  by,  however, 
and  what  stock  she  did  see  was  up  in  the  narrow  draws 
where  there  was  still  a  little  green.  Evidently  she 
was  to  have  plenty  of  work  rounding  up  those  steers. 
Why,  no !  She  pulled  up  short  That  looked  like 
some  of  them  now. 

She  had  just  turned  the  ridge  in  the  lava  beyond 
which  lay  Biane's,  when  she  saw  below  her,  feeding  on 
the  fine  grass  round  the  edge  of  a  pothole,  Biane's  sorry- 
looking  bunch,  and  with  them  a  big,  curly  white-face 
and  two  red — spoils,  theirs  of  course.  She  rode  over  to 
look  at  the  brand,  but  as  she  approached,  the  cattle 
moved  round  to  the  other  side  of  the  water.  Harry 
paused  and  looked  across.  She  wanted  to  ride  through, 
but  the  water  was  black  and  sinster.  Out  in  the  lava, 
it  was  not  safe  to  go  where  you  could  not  see  your  foot- 
ing. She  had  better  wait  until  she  was  coming  home 
and  then  drive  the  steers  with  her. 

No  one,  as  usual,  was  visible  round  the  hovse,  but 
240 


HOMESTEAD  KAKOH 

the  front  window  was  open  and  a  blanket  was  fastened 
up  to  keep  out  the  light.  Isita  must  be  in  that  room. 
Harry  knocked  lightly,  then  listened.  Some  one  in- 
side was  talking.  She  knocked  again  and,  when  no 
one  answered,  opened  the  door  and  entered. 

At  first  the  sudden  change  from  the  blaze  of  sunshine 
outside  to  the  darkness  of  the  room  obscured  everything. 
The  voice  she  had  heard  was  still  hurrying  on  in  a 
low  monotone.  She  tur:ned  toward  it  and,  as  her 
eyes  grew  accustomed  to  the  half  light,  saw  a  cot  bed 
and  on  it,  murmuring  in  the  delirium  of  fever, 
Isita. 

Going  swiftly  to  the  bed  Harry  bent  over  the  un- 
conscious girl.  'What  do  you  want,  Isita,  dear?"  she 
asked  gently,  then  drew  back  in  dismay. 

The  small  face,  usually  so  clear  and  pale,  was  swollen 
out  of  recognition  and  disfigured  under  a  veil  of  crim- 
son flecks;  the  lips  were  parched  and  brown.  At  the 
sound  of  Harry's  voice  the  sick  girl  moved  nervously, 
was  silent  an  instant,  then  began  to  mutter  afresh  in 
broken,  hurried  words. 

"Isita,  dear!  You  poor  little  thing!"  Harry  ex- 
claimed.    "What  is  it,  Isita  ?" 

Perhaps  the  repetition  of  her  name  or  the  sound  of 
the  familiar  voice  broke  through  the  sick  girFs  stupor, 
for  she  shivered,  opened  her  eyes,  reached  out  an  im- 
ploring hand  and  stammered  weakly,  "Don't  kill  him ! 
Don't!  I  can'tr—Don't  let  him!  She-— sh^-"  The 
words  died  away  into  an  imintelligible  whisper. 

One  of  Harry's  arms  was  round  Isita ;  her  cool  hand 
241 


HOMESTEAD  EANOH 

was  on  the  hot  forehead,  when  suddenly  there  was  the 
sound  of  a  harsh  voice  at  the  entrance  of  the  room. 

"Say,  there !     What's  doin'  V 

It  was  Mrs.  Biane.  Almost  running  she  came  from 
the  kitchen.  "Oh !  It's  you,  Miss  HoUiday !  I  couldn't 
think.  Put  her  down.  Quick!  It's  the  spotted 
fever." 

Almost  roughly  the  woman  pushed  between  the  bed 
and  Harry. 

"I  know.  That's  why  I  came,"  Harry  explained. 
"But  what  is  she  saying?  What  does  it  all  mean? 
What  is  she  afraid  of?" 

"isTothing."  Mrs.  Biane  faced  Harry  defiantly. 
"The  fever's  got  her.  Biane  killed  one  of  her  lambs 
the  other  night.  She  was  comin'  down  with  the  fever 
then,  I  guess,  for  it's  laid  on  her  mind  ever  since." 

Mrs.  Biane  was  evidently  agitated.  Leaning  over 
the  bed,  she  smoothed  the  tossed  sheets  and  straightened 
the  pillow.  "You  had  better  come  outside,"  she  said 
to  Harry.  "Hearin'  you  talk  upsets  her.  Anyhow,  it 
ain't  safe.     Like's  not  you  might  catch  it." 

"It's  not  contagious.  The  danger  is  all  to  the  one 
who  has  it.     What  does  the  doctor  say  ?" 

"The  doctor?  We  ain't  had  him.  We  don't  need 
him.     What  can  he  do?" 

"A  great  deal.  He  might  tell  you  what  Isita  should 
have  to  eat.     Perhaps  then  you  needn't  kill  her  lambs." 

"Why  not  kill  them?"  The  woman  turned  almost 
violently.  "We. ain't  a  thing  to  eat  else.  You  kin 
see  the  truck  patch  is  dead  dry.     There  ain't  no  grain 

242 


HOMESTEAD  EANOH 

to  feed  the  chickens,  no  hay  for  the  stock.  We  might's 
well  quit  this  God-forsaken  desert.  A  man  can't  make 
nothin'  here ;  the  frost  or  the  drought'!!  catch  him  every 
time." 

In  the  hoarse,  whispered  outburst  there  was  a  stran- 
gled sob  that  sent  a  thrill  down  Harry's  spine.  As 
she  stared  into  those  sunken  eyes  in  which  shone  sud- 
denly the  flame  of  unendurable  miseries,  she  felt  that 
this  strange  woman  needed  pity  more  than  blame. 

^Tisten,  Mrs.  Biane,"  she  said  with  gentle  determin- 
ation; "you  must  have  the  doctor.  I've  already  sent 
for  him.  It  shan't  cost  you  a  cent.  I  had  to  do  it  for 
Isita.  People  sometimes  die  of  spotted  fever,  and  I 
couldn't — ^I'm  too  fond  of  her — she's  terribly  sick.  Just 
listen." 

For  the  voice  had  suddenly  risen  to  a  cry :  "N'ot  that 
one,  Joe !     N'ot  that  one !     No — no !" 

"She  hears  you.  She's  frightened.  You'd  best  go 
on."  Mrs.  Biane  turned  hurriedly  to  the  bed.  "Wake 
up,  Isita,"  she  said  and  laid  her  hand  on  her 
daughter's  shoulder. 

"Oh,  don't  do  that !  You  don't  want  her  to  die,  do 
you?"  Harry  exclaimed,  hardly  knowing  what  she 
said. 

"She  might  almost  as  well — ^better,  too,  I  guess." 

The  words  came  in  a  despairing  sob  as  Mrs.  Biane 
threw  her  apron  over  her  face  and  sank  on  hei*  knees 
beside  the  bed. 

"Don't  cry!"  Harry  begged,  with  her  own  eyes  full 
of  tears.     "Isita's  going  to  get  welh     Don't  you  worry." 

243 


HOMESTEAD  EA:tTOH 

The  burden  of  her  own  inability  to  help  lay  sore  on 
Harry's  heart  as  she  rode  home.  Poverty  and  sickness 
and  the  shadow  of  famine  beyond!  She  would  save 
Isita,  anyhow!  Whatever  happened,  while  she  herself 
bad  bread,  the  other  girl  should  have  half  of  it. 

To  her  relief  the  doctor^s  automobile  passed  just 
after  she  had  turned  in  at  the  home  gate.  Knowing 
that  her  friend  was  in  his  care  she  could  take  up  her 
housework  and  the  chores  with  real  interest.  Not  until 
the  cows  began  coming  in  to  be  milked  did  she  re- 
member the  white-face  steer. 

"What  a  stupid  I  am !"  she  said  to  herself  with  sink- 
ing heart.  "How  can  I  tell  Eob  and  what  will  he 
think — ^that  I'm  no  good,  I  guess.  I  can't  leave  the 
milking  and  go,  and  afterwards  it'll  be  too  late.  I'll 
go  the  first  thing  in  the  morning." 

But  she  rode  nearly  all  the  next  day  without  getting  a 
glimpse  of  the  steers.  Nor,  when  she  stopped  to  in- 
quire for  Isita,  could  Mrs.  Biane  give  her  any  in- 
formation about  them.  No  strange  animals  had  come 
in  with  theirs  at  milking  time. 


CHAPTER  XIX 

On  Saturday  Eob  returned  from  haying.  Because 
of  the  shortage  of  water  for  irrigating,  Eobinson's  hun- 
dred acres  had  cut  very  much  less  than  usual.  Every 
one,  Rob  said,  was  complaining  of  the  way  in  which  the 
stockmen  from  outside  had  "hogged' '  the  grazing. 

"So  far,''  Rob  told  Harry,  "every  one  I've  talked  with 
is  willing  to  sign  for  the  herd  law.  It's  too  late  to  do 
us  any  good  this  season,  but  we'll  have  it  ready  by 
the  time  the  beef  barons  start  coming  north  next  spring. 
Biane  is  the  only  man  down  this  way  I  haven't  talked 
to.  When  you  go  up  there  with  these  oranges,  I  wish 
you'd  find  out  if  he's  going  to  be  home  this  evening 
and  I'll  go  up  then." 

Immediately  after  dinner  Harry  set  out  with  the 
oranges.  She  walked,  because  Rob's  saddle  horse  had 
a  sore  foot  and  he  wanted  to  use  Hike.  So  far  Harry 
had  not  missed  a  day  in  going  to  see  Isita.  The  fever 
had  broken,  leaving  the  girl  weak  and  wasted,  and  now 
especially  was  the  time  when  she  needed  the  nourishing 
and  dainty  food  that  Harry  took  to  her. 

The  exhausting  languor  that  follows  the  spotted 
fever  made  it  a  painful  effort  for  Isita  to  move.  Yet 
at  sight  of  Harry  in  the  doorway  with  her  basket  on 
her  arm,  the  girl  tried  to  raise  herself  on  her  elbow. 

"N'one  of  that,  Miss,"  Harry  warned  her,  pretending 
245 


I 


HOMESTEAD  EAKOH 

to  look  stern,  "or  I'll  go  straight  back  home,  and  you'll 
never  know  whether  I  had  soup  or  a  sermon  in  this 
basket." 

"It's  all  one  to  me,"  Isita  answered,  with  a  faint 
laugh.  "I  like  whatever  you  bring ;  just  so's  you  bring 
it." 

Harry's  daily  visits  had  been  literally  a  life-giving 
happiness  to  the  poor  child.  Even  Mrs.  Biane's  strange 
bitterness  had  softened  before  Harry's  irrepressibly 
sunny  nature.  To-day  she  came  in  from  the  kitchen 
to  set  a  chair  beside  the  bed. 

"While  you're  here.  Miss  HoUiday,"  she  said,  "if 
you  don't  mind  taking  charge,  I'll  go  up  the  road  a 
piece  after  the  hogs.     Both  the  men  are  away." 

"That's  all  right.  I'll  be  here  for  a  good  hour.  I've 
brought  a  book;  if  Isita  eats  her  orange  nicely,  with- 
out making  a  face,  I'll  read  to  her." 

'*Why  you're  so  good  to  my  girl.  Miss  HoUiday,  I 
can't  see.  You've  no  reason  to  be."  Mrs.  Biane 
spoke  abruptly,  as  if  the  words  had  kept  back  more 
than  they  expressed. 

"I  think  I've  the  best  reason  in  the  world !"  Harry 
exclaimed.  "Isita  and  I  are  what  they  call  'side  pard- 
ners.'  And  'side  pardners'  always  stand  by  each  other 
in  trouble." 

Mrs.  Biane  opened  her  lips  to  speak,  then  closed 
them  and  went  into  the  kitchen,  shutting  the  door. 

Harry  pulled  her  chair  close  to  the  bed,  took  nip 
an  orange  and  spread  under  Isita's  chin  the  smooth 
white  napkin  she  had  brought.     The  other  girl  said  not 

246 


HOMESTEAD  EANOH 

a  word,  but  drew  Harry's  warm  brown  hand  into  her 
two  thin  ones  and  carried  it  to  her  lips. 

"Silly  child!"  Harry  said,  drawing  her  hand  away, 
but  her  throat  tightened  with  emotion. 

She  began  in  a  most  businesslike  manner  to  prepare 
the  orange.  As  she  sat  there  in  the  quiet,  shaded 
room,  something  of  the  deep  serenity  of  the  summer 
day  filled  her.  It  was  the  realization  that  the  other 
girl  understood — ^was  at  last  her  friend. 

When  Isita  had  finished  the  orange,  Harry  took 
the  chair  over  to  the  window,  lifted  one  comer  of 
the  blanket  that  served  as  curtain  and  began  to  read. 
She  had  brought  The  Lady  of  the  Lake,  feeling  that 
its  simple  language  and  its  rhythmic  flow  would  soothe 
Isita  as  much  as  the  magic  of  the  tale  would  delight 
her.  As  she  read,  she  knew  without  really  looking 
that  Isita  was  watching  her.  By  and  by,  at  the  end 
of  a  long  description,  Harry  glanced  over  and  saw 
that  the  sick  girl  was  asleep. 

Harry  drew  a  deep  breath  of  relaxation.  Her 
shoulders  ached  a  little  from  sitting  so  long.  She 
stood  up,  thinking  she  would  go  outside  and  walk 
about;  but  the  loose  boards  in  the  floor  creaked  so 
loudly  that,  fearing  to  wake  Isita,  she  sat  down  again. 
It  was  so  dark  and  still  in  the  room  that  presently 
she  found  herself  nodding.  She  closed  her  eyes  and 
leaned  her  head  against  the  wall,  then  sat  up  with 
a  jerk.  A  man's  voice  directly  outside  the  window 
was  speaking. 

"Don't  you  ranchers  make  any  mistake  about  this. 
247 


HOMESTEAD  RANCH 

Once  let  a  fellow  like  him  get  control  here,  and  you'll 
be  ruined  before  you  know  it." 

It  was  Ludlum.  She  could  not  mistake  that  voice. 
Harry  sat  rigid,  wondering  how  to  get  out  of  the 
place.  Before  she  could  think  what  to  do,  Ludlum 
went  on :  "Let  HoUiday  put  that  herd  law  through,  and 
you'll  have  all  the  sheep  in  southern  Idaho  cleaning 
up  the  feed  round  you." 

"What's  the  reason  they  will?"  It  was  Joe  Biane 
who  answered,  ready  as  usual  to  suspect  every  one 
and  combat  all  statements.  "What's  the  herd  law  got 
to  do  with  lettin'  the  sheep  in?  It's  to  keep  critters 
out." 

"Cow  critters,"  Ludlum  corrected.  "Once  you  get 
a  herd  law  in  here  it'll  nullify  the  two-mile  limit  that 
keeps  the  sheep  off  now.  Holliday  didn't  tell  you  that, 
did  he?  He's  spread  the  notion  that  us  stockmen  are 
the  ranchers'  enemies,  when  the  fact  is,  we're  your 
best  friends.  You  never  see  one  that  ain't  ready  to' 
give  you  homesteaders  a  lift,  sell  you  cattle  on  time. 
Holliday's  sister  is  buying  her  a  herd  on  time  right 
now,  though  mebbe  you  wouldn't  think  it  from  the 
way  she's  threatened  to  shoot  up  mine.  I  guess  it 
was  them  two  stampeded  the  critters  here  a  few  nights 
ago.  l^obody  but  a  tenderfoot  would  'a'  done  it. 
Soon's  they've  been  in  this  country  a  month  they  think 
it's  the  proper  thing  to  pull  a  gun  on  everything. 
Why,  didn't  she  go  to  shootin'  at  me  with  a  rifle  the 
other  day  because  I'd  dumb  over  their  fence  to  pick 

248 


HOMESTEAD  EANCH 

Tip  a  grouse  I'd  winged  ?  'No,  I  tell  you,  HoUiday  ain't 
the  kind  you  want  to  advise  you.  They  ain't  neither  of 
'em  the  kind  anybody  wants  round.  Well,  I'll  be 
moving.     Let  me  know  any  time  you  want  any  help." 

"Wait,  please!" 

At  the  sharp  call  both  men  started  guiltily.  The 
front  door  stood  open,  and  Harry  was  aoming  down  the 
path  straight  toward  them. 

"I  heard  you,  Mr.  Ludlum,"  she  said.  "Every  word. 
Some  of  them  weren't  true." 

At  the  ugly  insinuation  the  stockman's  bland  face 
stiffened.  "You  heard  me,  eh?  Well,  then,  young 
lady,  you  heard  what's  good  for  you.  A  few  hard 
facts." 

"Facts!"  Harry's  eyes  snapped  scornfully,  and  she 
flung  up  her  head.  Joe  Biaae,  who  had  been  edging 
quietly  out  of  notice,  understood  this  sign  and  halted, 
grinning  expectantly. 

"I  don't  know  what  you  call  facts,"  Harry  went 
on.  "It  certainly  isn't  true  that  you  came  inside  our 
fence  ^merely  to  pick  up  a  grouse,'  as  you  say.  You 
and  another  man  were  shooting  on  my  land,  and  even 
when  you  heard  me  warn  you,  you  kept  on  shooting. 
I  had  to  fetch  the  rifle  to  frighten  you  off." 

As  Ludlum  pretended  to  laugh,  she  hurried  on: 

"And  we  didn't  stampede  your  cattle.  I  wasn't  at 
home  when  it  happened,  and  my  brother  was  waked  up 
in  the  middle  of  the  night  by  hearing  our  own  stock 
bellowing  and  nmning  wild.     When  he  had  rounded 

249 


HOMESTEAD  RAITCH 

tiiiem  up  next  day  four  of  our  best  steers  were  gone ;  it 
would  be  hard  to  prove  it,  but  I  think  thejVe  been 
stolen." 

"Stolen.  That's  bad,  too."  Ludlum  was  appar- 
ently at  his  ease  once  more,  amused  and  tolerant. 
"Stealing  branded  cattle  in  this  country  is  a  kind  of 
risky  business.     Ain't  you  putting  it  pretty  strong?" 

"^NTot  so  strong  as  I'd  like  to  put  it,  when  I've  been 
told  by  a  buckaroo  right  in  these  hills  that  if  I  dogged 
a  certain  stockman's  scrubs  off  our  range  I  was  liable  to 
have  all  my  own  cattle  disappear;  without  one  chance 
in  a  hundred  of  knowing  who'd  run  them  off, 
too." 

"Well.  You  heard  that,  did  you?"  Ludlum  spoke 
in  a  tone  of  soft  surprise,  but  his  eyes  gleamed  cruelly. 
^Tit's  going  to  be  pretty  hard  for  you  to  make  anything 
on  your  cattle  this  year,  then,  ain't  it  ?  Can't  even  make 
a  payment  on  your  mortgage,  mebbe." 

"You  needn't  worry  about  my  not  paying  you,  Mr. 
Ludlum.  If  we  can't  do  anything  else  we  can  bring  the 
stock  inside  the  fence  until  yours  and  these  other  out- 
siders' cattle  have  been  rounded  up.  I'll  have  enough 
to  sell  this  fall  to  pay  off  something  by  December. 
There  won't  be  any  danger  of  losing  them  next  year, 
when  the  herd  law  goes  through. 

"You  tell  Joe,  here,  that  you're  our  best  friend,  yet 
you  try  to  set  him  against  us.  You  tell  him  the  herd 
law  will  put  an  end  to  the  two-mile  limit,  which  isn't 
so.  That's  not  the  kind  of  friend  we're  used  to,  Mr. 
Ludlum.     And  if  we're  not  the  kind  of  people  you 

250 


HOMESTEAD  KANCH 

want  round  here,  if  you  don't  like  us,  why  do  you  come 
up  here  ?  WeVe  got  along  all  right  without  you." 

The  moment  she  said  that,  she  knew  that  she  had 
made  a  mistake.  Ludlum's  eyes  narrowed.  "Oh,"  he 
said  slowly,  "so  you  got  along  all  right,  did  you  ?  Ain't 
it  kind  of  sudden  that  you've  found  that  out  ?  Seemed 
to  me  you  were  pretty  well  pleased  to  have  the  old  man 
put  up  cattle  for  you  on  time." 

"It  was  your  suggestion  that  I  should  huy  of  you. 
You  weren't  doing  it  because  you  were  a  friend.  You 
said  it  was  good  business." 

"That's  right,  little  lady,"  Ludlum  laughed,  "you've 
hit  it  Business  it  was  and  business  it's  to  stay.  Eh  ? 
It'll  take  more'n  losing  a  bunch  of  stock  to  make  you 
knock  under,  won't  it  ?  Well,  here's  luck  to  you." 

And  with  a  malignant  chuckle  he  kicked  spurs  into 
his  horse  and  went  up  the  road  at  a  gallop.  As  Harry, 
with  throbbing  pulse  and  clenched  hands,  stared  after 
him  she  became  suddenly  aware  that  Joe  Biane  was 
watching  her  v^th  covert  intentness. 

"Whatever  you  do,  Joe,"  she  said  abruptly,  "don't 
go  to  outsiders  to  help  you  get  a  start.  You  see  what 
you're  likely  to  run  against." 

"Aw  I  What  difference  does  that  make  ?"  Joe  mum- 
bled, walking  away.  "Beat  'em  at  their  own  game,  I 
say." 

Harry  scarcely  heard  him.  She  did  not  know, 
really,  what  she  had  said  herself.  Her  thoughts  came 
rushing  down  like  a  river  that  leaps  a  precipice  and 
turns  to  helpless  spray.     She  had  spoken  as  she  did  to 

251 


HOMESTEAD  EAIsTCH 

Ludlum  on  impulse;  she  had  said  too  much  and  an- 
gered him. 

As  she  went  into  the  house  to  get  her  things,  Mrs. 
Biane  softly  opened  the  kitchen  door.  Harry  nodded, 
put  her  finger  on  her  lips  to  indicate  that  Isita  still 
slept,  and  then  quietly  went  out.  The  walk  home 
quieted  her,  and  by  the  time  Kob  had  come  in  to  supper 
she  was  able  to  relate  the  affair  calmly. 

Her  brother  laughed  a  little.  "You  shouldn't  let 
that  sort  of  talk  disturb  you.  We  know  Ludlum  is  out 
for  himself,  same  as  we  are,  though  our  methods  are 
a  little  different.  But  I  don't  believe  he  can  break  up 
the  herd  law.  The  other  ranchers  round  here  know 
him  a  lot  better  than  we  do,  and  his  bluff  about  the 
sheep  isn't  going  to  scare  them." 

Just  to  make  sure  that  Ludlum  had  not  turned  any 
of  the  farmers  against  the  herd  law.  Ebb  took  time  to 
ride  out  and  talk  with  them — especially  with  those  who, 
too  busy  or  too  indifferent  to  go  into  the  matter  thor-. 
oughly,  had  not  given  it  very  enthusiastic  support.  It 
was  a  discouraging  ride;  though  most  of  the  ranchers 
were  still  with  Kob,  Ludlum  had  won  over  enough  men 
to  defeat  the  chance  of  sending  the  petition  through. 

"The  farmers  up  here  aren't  strong  enough  yet,  or 
maybe  they  haven't  suffered  enough  from  the  outside 
stockmen  to  carry  any  concerted  move  like  the  herd  law 
through,"  he  said  gloomily  to  Harry  on  his  return. 
"They're  working  so  hard  to  make  a  living  that  they 
don't  take  time  to  think  how  much  more  easily  they 
could  make  it.     As  for  us,  if  I  can  buy  enough  hay  to 

252 


HOMESTEAD  EAISTCH 

take  us  through  the  winter,  I'll  be  well  enough  satis- 
fied." 

**Well,  I  won't!"  was  Harry's  vehement  and  unex- 
pected reply.  "The  idea  of  our  all  standing  weakly 
aside  and  letting  Ludlum  or  any  one  like  him  come  in 
here  next  spring  with  perhaps  twice  as  many  scrubs! 
It's  too  humiliating.  We  might  as  well  get  out  of  the 
cattle  business  at  once.  What's  the  use  of  buying  hay, 
of  getting  in  any  deeper,  if  we're  not  sure  of  our  graz- 
ing every  year?  Don't  you  see?  We've  got  to  get  it, 
and  we're  going  to  talk  to  every  rancher  in  these  hills 
once  more  and  make  them  see  what  they're  up  against. 
Aren't  we?" 

Rob,  in  his  favorite  attitude  on  the  porch  floor,  with 
his  legs  stretched  out,  his  hands  behind  his  head,  was 
silent  for  a  long  moment.  Then  he  gave  Harry  a  re- 
flective, questioning  look.     "Do  we  dare?"  he  asked. 

'TDare !   What  do  you  mean,  Rob  Holliday  ?  Dare !" 

"Exactly  what  I  say,"  replied  Rob.  "We  sailed 
into  this  cattle  proposition  pretty  bumptiously  at  first, 
but  it  looks  to  me  as  if  we'd  got  another  think  coming. 
We've  locked  horns  with  Ludlum  already  and  a  false 
move  on  our  part  may  finish  us.  Still,  it's  your  land 
that's  mortgaged.     Do  you  dare?" 

Harry  stiffened  up  defiantly.  "This  isn't  a  childish- 
^stunt,'  "  she  answered  with  dignity.  "I've  reasoned 
this  all  out  as  coolly  as  you  have.  A  dozen  steers  will 
be  enough  to  pay  the  principal  and  interest  due  Decem- 
ber first." 

"Will  they !     Eour  hundred  and  twenty-two  dollars ! 
253 


HOMESTEAD  EAKCH 

And  the  chances  are  that  beef  will  go  down  as  feed  goes 
up.  And  you  don't  reckon  on  what  the  other  fellow 
may  do.  Ludlum  is  after  your  land;  never-failing 
water  like  ours  is  a  gold  mine  to  a  stockman.  If  we 
put  that  herd  law  through,  he'll  be  so  mad  he'll  move 
heaven  and  earth  to  ruin  us.  He's  got  a  lot  of  power 
in  this  country  and  he's  hard  as  nails." 

"Then  I'll  sell  every  animal  in  my  herd,  pay  off 
everything  I  owe  and  be  free  of  him.  You'll  have 
your  cattle,  and  with  them  and  the  range  cleared  of 
Ludlum's  stuff,  we'll  soon  make  up  the  loss  and  sail 
ahead ;  beat  Ludlum  to  a  f  are-thee-well." 

"So  be  it  then,"  Kob  acquiesced ;  "but  if  we're  going 
to  push  the  herd  law  we'll  have  to  do  it  now,  before  har- 
vesting begins.  We'll  start  with  Biane.  We  may  find 
out  from  him  what  made  the  other  fellows  back  out." 

But  the  Portuguese  was  reticent.  On  Rob's  arguing 
that  the  summer  grazing  was  the  backbone  of  the  cattle 
business  and  that  it  belonged  by  rights  to  the  foothill 
ranchers,  Biane  shrugged  his  shoulders  and  smiled. 

"Yes.  As  you  say,  us  fellows  have  not  any  show. 
We  ar-re  poor  and  the  poor  must  always  stand  back; 
give  the  fat  man  the  road.     Eh  ?" 

"Not  if  we'd  hang  together  the  way  the  big  men  do," 
Harry  answered  promptly. 

Suddenly  she  felt  a  repulsion  for  that  short,  swarthy 
man  with  his  smooth,  ingratiating  manner,  his  slow, 
narrow  glance  that  moved  so  calculatingly  over  her  and 
Rob. 

"Before  this,"  she  went  on,  "we  ranchers  have  strug- 
254 


HOMESTEAD  EANCH 

gled  on  alone,  not  worrying  about  our  neighbors'  trou- 
bles ;  but  now  we're  up  against  it,  and  we  must  work 
together  or  go  clean  broke." 

"Why,  look  here,  Biane,"  Kob  put  in  earnestly; 
^'you've  a  bunch  of  stock  yourself,  and  youVe  had  to 
buy  hay  down  on  the  South  Side.  What  good  is  Lud- 
lum's  good  will  going  to  do  you?  Can't  you  see  that 
your  profit  is  in  standing  with  us  ?  Every  acre  of  graz- 
ing we  save  is  money  in  your  pocket." 

Biane,  chewing  a  straw,  smiled.  "I  have  no  ill- 
feeling  for  you,  Meestore  Kob.  I  like  be  freendly  wit' 
my  neighbors ;  but  so  I  like  keep  freendly  wit'  Ludlum. 
The  range  is  free.  I  have  no  right  to  drive  heem 
off.     Eh?" 

*^ut  he  is  driving  us  off!"  Eob  exclaimed,  ^^e 
talks  about  keeping  it  free,  and  he's  taking  every  spear 
of  grass  on  it.     Isn't  he  ?" 

"I  get  enough,"  Biane  said  gently,  with  a  shrug  and 
a  smile.  "What  more  I  need  ?  If  it  is  hay  that  you 
want,  I  sell  you  some." 

"You?  Why,  how's  that?  You'll  need  all  you  bou^t 
for  your  own  stock,  won't  you  ?" 

"I  spare  you  some.     How  much  you  need?" 

^Well,  after  we've  sold  our  beef  this  fall,  we'll  have 
about  seventy  head  to  winter." 

"I  could  let  you  have  feefty  ton." 

"That's  fine.     At  how  much  ?" 

"Oh,  twenty-five  dollare.     Yes." 

Kob  laughed  ironically.  "Only  twenty-five  a  ton! 
How  can  you  let  it  go  so  cheap  ?" 

255 


HOMESTEAD  EAI^CH 

^'Hay  id  now  f  eef  teen  and " 

"Sure.  And  may  go  to  fifteen  hundred,  so  I  would- 
n't think  of  robbing  you.  "No  doubt  you  can  get  fifty 
from  some  one  you  don't  want  to  keep  friendly  with." 

"You  ar-re  mistaken.  I  rather  not  to  quarrel  wit' 
nobody." 

"The  hill  ranchers  may  not  understand,"  Rob  said 
as  he  turned  his  horse.  "Trying  to  keep  in  with  us  and 
our  enemy,  too,  doesn't  look  so  friendly  as  you  im- 
agine." 

As  he  and  Harry,  riding  home,  talked  over  the  visit, 
Eob  said,  "There  must  be  something  more  than  sweet 
neutrality  back  of  all  that.  How  do  we  know  that 
Ludlum  isn't  paying  that  fellow  to  stand  out  against 
the  herd  law?" 

"He  can't  bribe  every  one,"  Harry  answered,  "and 
there  are  enough  of  us  to  carry  it  through,  once  we  all 
get  together." 

The  evidence  that  Rob  was  able  to  give  of  Ludlum'a 
dishonesty,  and  of  his  outspoken  animosity  toward 
Harry  and  himself,  was  a  strong  argument  with  those 
farmers  who  had  listened  favorably  to  Ludlum's  talk. 
Rob  was  able  to  convince  them  that  unless  they  wished 
to  be  ruined  they  must  protect  themselves  against  such 
plunderers  as  Ludlum.  The  more  progressive  farmers 
added  their  arguments  to  Rob's  with  such  effect  that, 
when  the  petition  for  a  herd  law  came  up  in  the  county 
court,  very  few  among  the  hill  ranchers'  names  were 
missing. 

"There  she  is,"  Rob  said,  throwing  on  the  table  the 
256 


HOMESTEAD  RAN-CH 

Oamas  Prairie  Courier,  containing  the  announcement 
that  their  district  was  to  go  under  the  herd  law. 
"I'd  like  to  see  old  Ludlum's  mug  when  he  reads  that. 
I  het  he'll  try  to  start  something  even  now." 

"Let  him,"  Harry  answered  tranquilly.  "This  will 
see  his  finish  up  here." 

"It  may  see  our  finish,  too,  round  December  first,'' 
Rob  said  to  himself,  "that  is,  if  hay  goes  any  higher 
and  cattle  any  lower." 


CHAPTEK  XX 

Kow  that  the  herd  law  was  a  fact,  the  next  task  Eob 
and  Harry  had  to  undertake  was  getting  hay  for  the 
winter.  Yet  it  was  almost  impossible  for  them  to  find 
time  to  look  for  it.  Every  day  was  crowded  with  work. 
The  herd  law  would  not  take  effect  until  the  following 
spring,  and  the  cattle  at  present  in  the  hills  would  re- 
main there  until  the  fall  round-up.  Until  then  one  or 
the  other  of  the  young  people  must  always  ride  the 
fence  to  look  for  breaks,  to  push  the  range  cattle  back 
and  to  keep  their  own  animals  near  home  in  an  effort  to 
stop  the  losses  that  continued  with  baffling  persistence. 

With  the  patience  of  an  old  hand  Harry  performed 
that  part  of  the  work.  Early  and  late  she  rode  to  all 
the  water  holes  not  already  gone  dry,  to  all  the  favorite 
midday  haunts  of  the  herds,  constantly  hoping  to  find 
one  or  all  of  the  six  creatures  that  had  disappeared. 
She  found  none  of  them;  and,  while  she  searched,  two 
more  steers,  a  yearling,  and  a  cow  and  a  calf  vanished 
one  by  one. 

Ludlum's  "cow-punchers,"  with  growing  insolence, 
came  repeatedly  inside  the  fence  to  look  through  the 
milk  cows  and  calves  on  pasture ;  and  they  never  lost  a 
chance  to  make  threatening  remarks  to  Harry  about 
rustlers  and  what  they  were  doing.     Harry  never  re- 

258 


HOMESTEAD  EANCH 

peated  their  remarks  to  Kob,  for  slie  was  anxious  to 
shield  him  from  any  additional  annoyance. 

Slowly  she  had  waked  up  to  the  fact  that  behind  her 
brother's  undemonstrative  calm  there  was  deep  anxiety 
and  worry.  N^ever  given  to  talking  much,  he  now 
scarcely  spoke  a  word.  His  appetite  vanished;  when 
Harry  begged  him  to  eat,  he  said  that  he  had  a  headache' 
or  that  he  had  not  slept  very  well  the  night  before, 
which  soon  began  to  mean  that  he  was  not  sleeping  well 
any  of  the  time. 

"Poor  Bobby  is  killing  himself  over  the  business, 
and  there  isn't  a  thing  I  can  do  to  help  him,"  she  said 
to  herself.  "I  can't  even  sell  out  until  this  fall,  and 
by  that  time " 

But  she  could  not  say  what  she  thought  might  hap- 
pen by  that  time.  The  last  cutting  of  hay  would  soon 
be  made  now,  and  Kob  must  surely  be  able  to  get  some 
then. 

By  the  middle  of  August  the  range  was  stripped  of 
feed.  The  foothills,  browsed  over  by  thousands  or 
sheep  and  cattle,  burned  by  the  dry  winds  and  endless 
days  of  bright  sunshine,  stretched  their  dreary  length 
of  black  lava  and  yellow  sandstone  buttes,  gray  sage- 
brush and  trodden  dust.  Water  holes  and  springs 
finally  succumbed  to  the  long  drought,  and  from  all 
sides  the  herds  came  down  round  the  ranches.  Trail- 
ing along  the  fences,  they  disturbed  the  silent  nights 
with  their  uneasy  bellowings. 

About  the  first  of  September  Rob  and  Harry  brought 
all  their  cattle  inside,  in  relays.     Their  wheat  was  not 

259 


HOMESTEAD  EANCH 

'going  to  pay  for  "harvesting  it,  and  it  was  better  to  feed 
it  now  as  pasture  and  save  the  alfalfa.  They  had,  in- 
tended, of  course,  to  ship  their  best  steers  to  the  stock- 
yards, but  the  lack  of  feed  had  flooded  the  markets 
both  East  and  West  with  half -starved  and  young  crea- 
tures ;  and  even  fat  beef  was  bringing  a  ruinously  low 
price. 

"Better  to  hold  on  as  long  as  we  can,"  Eob  decided ; 
"the  price  should  go  up  as  soon  as  this  low  grade  is 
cleaned  out." 

"I  should  think  that  with  so  many  hundreds  being 
shipped  there  would  be  plenty  of  hay  for  all  that  are 
left,"  Harry  suggested. 

"I  haven't  found  a  man  who's  got  more  than  enough 
for  his  own  stock — if  he  has  that.  Even  grain  hay  is 
being  held  for  winter  feed." 

Harry  had  no  answer.  Slowly,  distinctly,  before  her 
unwilling  mind  rose  the  vision  of  the  famine  winter. 
Against  her  wish  she  recalled  the  stories  to  which  in 
the  immeaning  time  of  plenty  she  and  Hob  had  listened, 
shudderingly  thankful  that  they  had  been  spared  such 
distress  and  anguish  of  mind. 

Early  in  November  she  had  asked  Rob  a  question  that 
she  had  been  pondering.  They  had  finally  sold  six- 
teen steers  at  the  ruinous  price  of  thirty  dollars  a  head, 
and  with  hay  at  fifteen  dollars  it  was  clear  they  would 
not  have  enough  money  to  pull  through.  Yet  while 
they  were  suffering  this  famine  here,  down  on  the 
South  Side  a  great  harvest  was  being  gathered.     Why 

^60 


/ 

HOMESTEAD  EAiNCH 

was  there  no  way  of  getting  part  of  that  feed  on  the 
prairie?  "What's  the  reason  they  can't  ship  baled 
hay  in  here  ?"  she  said. 

"Baled  hay?  Eorty  miles  by  wagon?  It  couldn't 
be  done.  No,  the  ranchers  on  this  side  of  the  hills  have 
to  take  their  chances,  and  they  know  it  If  they 
haven't  enough  hay,  they'll  sell  half  their  stock  and  put 
the  rest  on  short  rations  and  pull  through  somehow." 

"Why  couldn't  they  drive  their  cattle  down  there? 
Other  men  bring  their  stock  up  here  in  summer  and  go 
back  to  the  South  Side  for  the  winter." 

"Sure.  That's  where  they  live.  These  fellows 
here  would  have  to  take  all  their  belongings — a  raft  of 
children,  chickens,  pigs — ^why,  they'd  rather  let  their 
cattle  starve." 

"Well,  we  haven't  a  raft  of  children  to  hold  us  here. 
If  you  can't  find  hay  on  the  prairie,  we'll  go  down  on 
the  South  Side  and  buy  hay  and  feed  the  stock  there." 

"Don't  you  know  that  we'd  have  to  have  a  house  to 
live  in  and  a  well?  The  stock's  got  to  be  watered, 
and  the  ditches  don't  run  all  winter.  You  seem  to 
think  we  can  move  round  anywhere  we  take  a  fancy. 
In  the  West  there  aren't  any  obligingly  abandoned 
farms  waiting  at  the  end  of  shady  lanes,  with  pasture 
attached.  Every  house  and  shed  and  shack  in  this 
country  was  built  for  some  special  bunch  of  folks,  and 
every  acre  of  pasture  is  carrying  just  so  much  stock, 
and  the  rest  is  desert." 

"But  you'll  go  down  there  and  try  to  find  somethings 
261 


HOMESTEAD  EAISTCH 

won't  you  ?"  Harry  urged.  "Some  one  is  going  to  get 
the  last  hay  for  sale  there,  and  you  may  be  that  one. 
I'll  see  to  things  here." 

"Well,  seeing  as  I  haven't  got  any  advice  of  my  own 
to  follow,  I  may  as  well  take  yours." 

When  he  set  out,  two  days  later,  Harry  walked  down 
to  the  big  gate  with  him. 

"Now  don't  hurry  back,"  was  her  warning  as  he 
left  her.  "You  must  find  hay.  It  means  the  begin- 
ning of  our  everlasting  fortune  if  we  bring  the  herd 
through  this  winter.  And  if,"  she  added  to  herself  as 
he  rounded  the  butte,  "if  we  can't  get  hay — ^what  then  ?" 

At  the  end  of  a  week  she  received  a  post  card  from 
Kob. 

"No  luck  yet  Plenty  of  feed,  but  mostly  contracted 
for  in  big  lots;  small  stacks  not  for  sale.  Am  going 
farther  on  next  week,  so  don't  expect  me  until  you  see 


As  Harry  read  this  she  felt  a  pang  of  terror  such  as 
she  had  felt  when,  as  a  child  playing  "I  spy"  and 
wildly  seeking  a  hiding  place  at  the  last  minute,  she  had 
heard  the  warning  shout,  "Keady  or  not  you  shall  be 
caught."  Were  they  going  to  be  caught  now?  Not 
only  must  they  get  hay,  but  they  must  get  it  before  the 
first  big  snowstorm  should  imprison  the  herd  in  the 
hills.  Would  Kob,  down  in  the  Snake  Eiver  country 
where  the  weather  was  still  warm,  remember  that  up  in 
the  hills  winter  was  very  near  ? 

262 


HOMESTEAD  EAI^CH 

To  Harry,  waiting,  watching,  the  suspense  became 
almost  unendurable.  As  i^ovember  glided  away  with 
its  pale,  cloar  skies  and  its  short,  windless  days,  the 
desert  grew  lonelier,  vaster.  The  forsaken  fields,  the 
sear  hillsides  on  which  not  one  of  the  animals  that  had 
fed  there  was  left,  even  the  empty  skies  where  only  a 
single  hawk  floated — all  were  dumb  witnesses  that  the 
harvest  was  ended. 

If  Harry  had  been  idle,  the  suspense  would  have  been 
worse ;  but  there  was  plenty  for  her  to  do,  whether  they 
stayed  where  they  were  for  the  winter  or  departed. 
The  root  vegetables  must  be  dug  and  stored,  the  weeds 
buBned,  the  dry  wood  hauled  down  from  the  grove  and 
stacked,  the  asparagus  bed  mulched  and  the  young  trees 
tied  in  tar  paper  to  keep  off  rabbits.  When  she  had  done 
all  that  and  had  cleaned  the  house,  Harry  felt  that  she 
Qould  afford  to  take  an  afternoon  off  and  go  to  see  Isita. 
Though  the  girl  had  been  out  of  her  sick  bed  for  more 
than  three  months,  she  was  not  yet  strong,  and  for  that 
reason  Harry  was  doubly  set  on  getting  her  away  to 
school. 

She  found  Isita  sitting  on  an  old  box  in  the  sun- 
shine, picking  wool  for  a  quilt  She  was  working 
slowly,  steadily,  but  all  too  evidently  without  interest. 
At  sight  of  Harry  her  face  lighted  with  pleasure. 

^^I  was  so  afraid  you'd  gone  for  the  winter !''  she  ex- 
claimed.    "It's  such  a  long  time  since  youVe  been  up." 

"As  if  I'd  go  without  saying  good-by !  I  don't  want 
to  go  at  all  until  you're  settled  down  on  the  flat,  going  to 
sehool.     Has  your  mother  persuaded  your  father?" 

263 


HOMESTEAD  RANCH 

Isita's  head  drooped.  "I  don't  believe  He's  going  to 
let  me  go.  He  wants  me  to  work.  She  half  glanced  up 
and  smiled  rather  wanly.  "I  can't  explain.  You 
wouldn't  understand." 

"JSTo,  I  don't  understand,"  Harry  answered,  '^'d 
like  to  ask,  too.    Is  your  father  here  ?" 

The  words  were  still  on  her  lips  when  Biane  turned 
the  comer  of  the  house  at  a  leisurely  walk. 

'^Good  afternoon,  miss!"  he  said.  "You  wish  to 
speak  to  me  ?" 

"If  you  please,  Mr.  Biane.  Isita  seems  to  think  that 
you  can't  spare  her  to  go  to  school  this  winter.  I 
wondered  if  you  realized  how  much  she  wanted  to  go; 
how  much  she  needed  the  rest  from  farm  drudgery  after 
being  so  sick." 

"Oh,  she's  well  now,  I  think.  So,  'Sita?"  He 
moved  his  eyes  to  Isita  and  smiled  the  smile  of  a  drowsy 
tiger.  Involuntarily  his  daughter  straightened,  and  a 
spot  of  color  deepened  in  her  cheeks. 

"Even  if  she  is  well  enough  to  be  doing  chores,'^ 
Harry  pursued,  determined  to  finish  her  argument, 
"she  will  never  be  fit  for  anything  better  if  she  doesn't 
go  to  school.  She  could  make  so  much  of  herself  if  she 
were  trained." 

"Trained  ?"  The  Portuguese  smiled  slowly,  with  his 
head  on  one  side.  "I  train  my  girl,  Miss  Holliday ;  she 
need  no  more  of  that." 

Harry  shivered.  "I'm  afraid  we  don't  mean  the 
same  sort  of  training,"  she  said  coldly. 

Biane  gave  a  profound  nod.  "I  raise  my  family  to 
264 


HOMESTEAD  RANCH 

make  a  living.  I  train  them  to  mind.  You  onder- 
stand?  Books!  Chatter!  Seenging!  Puah!  'Sita  likes 
work.  Better  than  books.  Sure!"  His  glance  leaped 
to  his  daughter.  ''Why  you  not  tell  miss  how  much 
you  like  to  work,  eh  ?"  he  inquired  in  a  purring  tone. 

Isita  watched  him  with  fascinated  eyes.  She  was 
white  as  tallow.  Nevertheless,  she  smiled,  and  her 
dry  lips  shaped  the  words:  "Yes.  I  like  to  work. 
Truly." 

Biane  turned  back  to  Harry.  '*You  see?  I  t^ank 
you  all  same  for  your  politeness." 

Harry  went  home  heavy-hearted.  She  was  bitterly 
disappointed  in  herself  that  she  had  failed  so  miserablj^ 
in  helping  her  little  friend.  Her  pony  fell  into  a  walk.. 
She  did  not  notice  it.  'Thello,  exploring  on  either  side 
of  the  road,  veered  off  into  the  scab  land  after  a  squirrel, 
and  Harry  did  not  miss  him.  Only  at  the  sound  of 
his  excited  yelping  did  she  wake  and  look  about  her. 

"  'Thello !"  she  called.     "Here,  boy !" 

But  the  clamor  only  grew  more  violent,  and,  after 
waiting  for  several  moments,  Harry  turned  back  to 
the  place  where  the  dog  was  digging  furiously  at  the 
bottom  of  the  dry  pot  hole.  Harry's  indifference 
warmed  to  curiosity  as  dhe  saw  the  dog  tearing  away  at 
something  hidden  under  the  crust  of  the  soil  that  had 
been  mud — something  that  was  weighted  down  with 
stones.  Curiosity  became  suddenly  amazed  conviction 
that  she  was  at  last  to  know  what  had  become  of  some, 
at  least,  of  their  lost  steers.  Eor  there  at  her  feet, 
plainly  visible  under  the  dried  clay  and  stone,  lay 

265 


HOMESTEAD  RANCH 

many  hides  of  cattle.  Some  were  shriveled  and  rotted 
beyond  identification;  some  looked  fresh.  One,  with 
curly  white  hair  still  clinging  to  the  skull,  Harry 
could  have  sworn  was  the  hide  of  poor  Curly  Face. 

She  was  down  on  her  knees  by  now,  working  away 
with  'Thello  in  a  flame  of  determination  to  make  sure  of 
her  suspicions,  when  a  voice  behind  her  demanded: 

"What  you  think  you're  doin'?'' 

"Finding  my  lost  steers  V^  she  answered  triumphantly, 
*'And  next  I'll  find  who  stole  them." 

"Oh,  you  will!"  Joe  sneered.  "How  you  know 
they're  yours  ?" 

"There  are  two  red  polls,  out  of  Rob's  bunch. 
There's  the  black  shorthorn.  Oh,  I  know  well  enough ! 
And  some  one  killed  'em,  skinned  'em,  hid  the  hides. 
I'll  find  who  did  it,  too."  She  laughed  rather  wildly. 
It  was  such  a  mean,  cruel  thing  for  any  one  to  do ! 

"Three  hundred  dollars  worth  of  stock  we've  lost  this 
year!"  she  cried.  "Just  wait  imtil  Rob  hears  where  I 
found  them !     Then  we'll  see  something  doing." 

Without  another  glance  at  the  boy  who  stood  watch- 
ing her  in  silence,  she  swung  up  into  the  saddle  and 
raced  for  home.  She  must  write  at  once  to  Rob  of 
her  discovery. 

As  she  set  down  on  paper  the  details  of  her  find,  her 
indignation  flamed  anew.  The  person  who  had  stolen 
those  animals  had  perhaps  ruined  them;  for  the  loss 
of  a  dozen  creatures  might  mean  just  the  difference 
between  having  enough  to  pay  the  money  due  Ludlum 
on  the  1st  of  December  and  not  having  it.     And  if  she 

266 


HOMESTEAD  KANCH 

could  not  make  the  payment  Ludlum  would  certainly 
refuse  to  renew  the  loan.  But  she  would  not  think  of 
it.     She  would  find  some  way  to  pay  him. 

When  she  had  finished  the  letter  she  threw  on  her  hat 
and  sweater  and  went  out  to  do  the  chores.  With 
'Thello  at  her  heels  she  raced  across  the  garden  to  the 
stock  yard.  The  cattle  stood  close  to  the  fence,  basking 
in  the  faint  sunshine,  waiting  their  ration  of  hay. 
Harry  had  left  the  hayrack  full,  ready  for  the  evening 
feeding.  Now  she  harnessed  the  team  to  it,  drove 
the  load  on  the  feeding  ground  and  forked  off  the  hay 
as  she  moved  slowly  forward. 

At  sight  of  her  the  cattle  had  begun  to  low,  and  now 
they  followed  the  wagon,  stopping  one  after  another 
to  feed.  Harry  knew  each  one  of  them :  the  quiet  cows, 
the  solid-built  steers,  the  fat  calves  and  yearlings  in 
their  furry  winter  suits.  How  big  and  strong  they 
looked;  how  well-cared-for — even  the  scrubs  that  at 
first  had  looked  so  hopelessly  poor!  And  she  might 
have  to  sell  them  all  to  save  her  land!  Fiercely  she' 
jabbed  the  fork  into  the  flakes  of  solidly  packed  hay. 

When  she  had  scattered  the  hay,  she  fed  the  chickens 
and  milked.  As  she  was  beginning  on  the  last  cow, 
^Thello,  on  guard  at  the  corral  gate,  sprang  up  with  a 
threatening  growl. 

''Who's  that?"  Harry  said  to  him.  "If  it's  a  cow- 
puncher,  tear  him  limb  from  limb." 

"Who  you  hatin'  so  hard  ?"  inquired  a  mild  voice  and 
Gamett  made  a  long-legged  step  over  the  board  fence 
of  the  barn  yard.     "Kob  ain't  to  home  ?" 

267 


HOMESTEAD  EAl!^CH 

'^i^o.  He's  down  on  the  South  Side  trying  to  find 
hay.  I'm  surprised  you  haven't  seen  him.  What  are 
you  doing  up  here  at  this  time  of  year,  anyhow  ?  Your 
renters  have  quit,  haven't  they?  I  thought  you  were 
on  your  ranch  over  there  for  the  winter." 

"Had  to  go  to  Soldier  to  witness  against  a  rustler." 

'T)idn't  happen  to  be  Ludlum,  did  it  ?"  Harry  asked 
sardonically. 

Garnett  grinned,  and  Harry  said  quickly,  "I  guess 
if  you  had  lost  a  dozen  critters  and  suddenly  had  found 
evidence  of  their  having  been  killed  right  near  home, 
you'd  hate  all  cattle  men  and  cow  punchers,  too." 

As  they  walked  to  the  house  together  she  told, Garnett 
of  the  increasing  trouble  they  had  had  with  Ludlum's 
men  toward  the  end  of  the  season,  and  of  her  finding 
the  hides. 

"You  see,"  she  concluded,  "it's  perfectly  plain  that 
Ludlum  planned  at  the  start  to  work  things  so  I'd  have 
"to  let  my  land  go.  That's  what  he  was  after.  But  if 
he  thinks  killing  my  cattle  is  going  to  put  me  out  of 
the  game,  he'll  be  disappointed." 

"Say,  now,"  Garnett  put  in,  "I  wouldn't  pull  my 
gun  on  Ludlum  yet  awhile.  Don't  look  to  me  like  a 
stockman  would  bother  himself  with  such  a  job.  He'd 
run  off  a  hundred  head  mebbe  into  the  mountains,  but 
not  this.  I  reckon  I'd  better  ride  over  there  and  take 
a  look  at  those  hides.  I  could  mebbe  get  a  line  on 
something." 

While  Garnett  was  gone,  Harry  started  the  fiupper 
268 


HOMESTEAD  EANCH 

fire  and  set  the  table ;  then   in  a  clean  blue  apron,  she 
waited  expectantly  for  his  report. 

"I'd  never  say  Ludlum  done  that  job,"  he  announced 
decisively  the  moment  he  returned.  "I'd  swear  to  his 
brand  on  one  hide  there  at  any  rate,  and  mebbe  more. 
There's  a  good  twenty-five  skins  in  the  bunch,  and  you 
didn't  lose  more'n  a  dozen  critters  all  told,  did  you  ?" 

"Just  a  dozen,"  she  answered,  "one  of  them  only 
lately.     It's  hide  wasn't  there." 

"And  Ludlum's  been  gone  out  of  here  six  weeks  ?" 

"Two  months.  But  if  he  didn't  do  it,  who  did? 
Who?" 

"That's  your  next  job,  I  reckon,  finding  out.  If  one 
of  your  critters  has  turned  up  missin'  this  last  month, 
then  I'd  sure  count  Ludlum  out  and  smell  a  fresh 
trail  for  the  thief.  I'd  quit  frettin'  myself  right  now, 
anyhow.  Rob'll  be  along  soon  and  mebbe  he  can  fit 
this  puzzle  game  together." 

His  kind  heart  was  distressed  at  the  thought  of  leav- 
ing the  girl  alone  with  her  gloomy  thoughts,  but  he 
knew  that  she  would  scorn  the  idea  of  his  staying.  Be- 
ing left  alone  was  one  of  the  things  that  the  women  of 
the  cattle  country  took  for  granted,  and  Harry,  he  knew, 
was  not  a  "quitter." 

But  when  he  was  leaving  he  held  her  hand  in  his 
hard  grasp  a  second  or  two  longer  than  usual,  and  his 
blue  eyes  tried  to  say  more  than  his  tongue  ever  had. 
Perhaps  Harry  understood  their  meaning,  for  she  tilted 
her  head  and  smiled. 

269 


HOMESTEAD  KANCH 

'^iin  on,  now,"  she  said.  "The  moon  sets  early, 
and  you'll  be  late  getting  home.  If  you  see  Bobby 
down  yonder,  tell  him  to  find  a  buyer  for  my  herd 
instead  of  hay  for  them.  Tell  him,  in  fact,  that  he 
must  sell  them.  I  have  worked  it  out,  and  I  know  we 
haven't  money  enough  to  make  our  payment  in  Decem- 
ber.    Now,  don't  forget." 

"You  bet!  I'll  see  that  they're  sold  if  I  have  to 
peddle  'em  back  to  Ludlum  himself,"  promised  Gamett 
as  he  went  off  into  the  twilight.  As  Harry  watched 
the  dusk  close  roimd  him  she  felt,  for  the  first  time  in 
all  her  happy,  courageous  young  life,  absolutely  alone. 


CHAPTER  XXI 

During  the  following  days  Harry,  with  her  mind 
on  the  mystery  of  her  slaughtered  animals,  spent  all 
her  spare  time  looking  for  the  recently  lost  scrub  and 
keeping  an  eye  open  for  suspicious-looking  or  stranger 
cowboys.  She  was  putting  up  her  pony  one  evening 
after  a  fruitless  search  when  footsteps  approaching 
through  the  twilight  made  her  turn  sharply,  with  every 
sense  on  guard.  As  she  did  so  Joe  Biane  emerged  from 
the  shadows. 

"Why,  Joe!"  she  exclaimed.  '*How  you  startled 
me!     What  do  you  want?" 

Joe  laughed  awkwardly.     "Is  Eob  to  homef^ 

"No.     Did  you  want  anything  special?" 

"Only  to  ask  him  could  we  borrow  the  team  to-morrow 
to  pack  our  traps  to  Shoshone.    We're  pullin'  out." 

"Pulling  out !     For  the  winter,  you  mean  ?" 

"No.  Quittin'.     Por  good." 

"Why,  Joe !  What  on  earth  for  ?  Why  didn't  Isita 
tell  me  before?  What  will  you  do  with  your  stock? 
And  your  hay  ?     Where  are  you  going  ?" 

"Aw,  anywheres,  I  guess,  to  get  out  of  this  country. 
Ain't  we  starved  all  summer?  And  now  they  tell  us 
we're  in  for  a  hard  winter.  Besides,  dad  mortgaged 
everything  last  year,  and  now  it's  been  took:  the  team, 

271 


HOMESTEAD  EANCH 

wagon,  stock  everything.  Dad's  going  back  East,  for 
all  I  know." 

"Back  East!  And  Isita  never  said  a  word  of  it!" 

"She  didn't  know  nothin'  about  it  until  yesterday." 

"Oh!  Well,  I'll  lend  you  the  team  of  course.  That 
is,  I'll  drive  you  in.  What  time  did  you  want  to 
start?" 

"In  the  momin',  if  it's  all  the  same  to  you — so's 
we'll  sure  catch  that  night  train." 

"I  see.     I'll  be  over  early." 

"You  needn't  go,"  Joe  insisted  awkwardly.  "I  can 
fetch  the  team  back  next  day.  I  ain't  goin'  out  with 
the  folks." 

"I'd  rather  drive  myself.  It  will  give  me  a  chance 
to  visit  with  Isita." 

For  several  minutes  she  stared  after  Joe  when  he  had 
melted  into  the  shadows.  Was  it  really  fear  of  the 
coming  winter  that  was  driving  the  Bianes  away? 
Slowly  she  glanced  round  her.  There  in  the  canon  the 
darkness  was  deep  as  a  sea,  with  only  here  and  there, 
like  a  pale  face,  a  gleam  of  rocky  butte  facing  the  west. 
!N"ot  a  cricket  chirped,  not  a  breeze  whispered.  In  pro- 
found silence  the  earth  waited ;  for  what  ? 

Without  warning,  overwhelmingly,  like  a  great  sea 
risen  swiftly  in  the  night,  homesickness  drowned  her. 
How  safe  it  was  back  there  in  that  New  England  vil- 
lage ! 

Suddenly  she  shook  herself.  "I'm  as  bad  as  the 
Bianes,"  she  said  to  h^:seK,  with  a  shaky  laugh,  "let- 

272 


HOMESTEAD  RANCH 

ting  myself  get  scared  by  wliat  people  say.  My  job's 
here,  snow  or  no  snow." 

But  the  cruelty  of  baving  Isita  snatched  away  from 
her  was  not  so  easily  ignored;  the  happy  friendship 
that  she  had  so  patiently  worked  and  waited  for,  torn 
up  like  a  flower  at  the  very  moment  of  its  blossoming ! 

But  Harry  was  not  the  sort  who,  in  the  clutch  of 
trouble,  weeps  or  sulks  or  melts  into  flabby  inertness. 
She  finished  her  tasks  for  the  night,  rose  an  hour  earlier 
than  usual  the  next  morning  and  went  briskly  about 
her  work.  After  milking,  she  turned  the  calves  into 
the  pasture  with  the  cows  so  that  she  need  not  milk 
that  night,  left  a  load  of  hay  on  the  wagon  in  the  corral 
so  that  the  stock  could  feed  out  of  the  rack,  and  scat- 
tered plenty  of  wheat  for  the  chickens.  Her  lips  were 
set;  there  was  a  steady  gaze  in  her  eyes  that  meant 
unshaken  purpose.  Some  time,  somehow,  she  would 
have  Isita  back  for  'Tfeeps." 

With  characteristic  kindness  she  filled  a  basket  with 
the  best  she  had  for  the  travelers'  luncheon — a  loaf  of 
bread,  some  butter,  a  jar  of  jam,  a  cake,  some  home- 
made cheese — anything  that  might  make  the  long 
journey  easier  for  the  two  women. 

If  Isita  were  going  back  East  she  would  need  some 
clothes.  In  Harry's  trunk  there  lay  some  that  she 
had  not  worn  since  she  had  come  to  Idaho— clothes  for 
all  seasons  and  occasions,  useless  to  her,  yet  too  good 
to  throw  away.  Harry  selected  some  that  she  thought 
suitable  and  wrapped  them  in  a  bundle. 

"Why  couldn't  I  have  kept  her  here?"  she  said  to 
273 


HOMESTEAD  EANCH 

herself  almost  fiercely.  "I'd  have  clothed  and  fed 
her  as  long  as  she  needed.  We'd  have  been  so  happy. 
At  least,"  she  consoled  herself,  "if  they're  really  going 
East,  Isita  will  have  to  go  to  school.  She  can  tell  me 
everything  on  our  drive  to  Shoshone." 

But  Biane  had  other  ideas.  "They  can  tell  you 
not'ing.  They  know  not'ing,"  he  interrupted  blandly 
the  moment  Harry  began  to  ask  questions.  "I  myself 
decide  to  quit  her-re.  Where  do  we  go?"  He  raised 
his  eyebrows,  smiling  fatuously.  "Aha !  Perhaps  even 
to  Sout'  Amer-rica.  A  fine  cattle  country  that.  Mebbe 
you  hear  from  us  one  day.  Eh  ?"  He  raised  a  shoul- 
der, turned  to  walk  away,  then  glanced  back  with  a 
wise  smile  that  made  poor  Harry  wish  she  were  a  man 
and  could  say  what  she  thought. 

It  took  only  a  short  time  to  stow  the  few  boxes  and 
bundles  in  the  wagon.  When  all  was  ready,  Harry 
hastened  to  help  Isita  into  the  front  seat  beside  her, 
before  any  other  arrangement  could  be  suggested.  She 
was  determined  to  have  some  sort  of  talk  with  her 
friend  before  they  were  separated.  But  she  was  soon 
made  to  realize  that  Biane  controlled  his  family  ab- 
solutely. At  every  attempt  she  made  to  talk  confidently 
with  Isita,  Biane  leaned  across  the  back  of  the  seat 
and  broke  into  their  talk  with  other  subjects  until  she 
gave  up  in  despair. 

The  conviction  that  this  abrupt  departure  was  caused 
by  other  reasons  than  those  that  Joe  and  his  father 
had  offered,  grew  steadily  in  her,  and  the  uneasy  sus- 
pense that  she  noticed  in  the  whole  Biane  family 

274 


HOMESTEAD  RANCH 

strengthened  her  belief.  By  the  time  they  reached 
Shoshone  she  was  so  tired,  so  nervously  on  edge,  that 
she  drove  at  once  to  Kinney's  Hotel,  got  out  there,  and 
left  Biane  to  take  his  family  on  to  the  station. 

^*When  you've  finished  with  the  team,"  she  said  to 
him,  "bring  them  back  here  to  the  livery  stable.  I'll 
leave  orders  for  feeding  them.  What  time  does  your 
train  leave  ?" 

"Our  train  V^  he  repeated,  darting  a  suspicious  glance 
at  her. 

"Yes.  I  want  to  come  down  and  say  good-by  to 
Isita." 

"Sur-rely.  I  was  forgetting.  We  go  at  ten  o'clock." 
And  with  his  cold  smile  that  showed  his  teeth  and  half 
closed  his  yellow  eyes,  the  Portuguese  drove  off.  Isita 
turned  to  give  Harry  one  entreating  look  before  the 
dusk  hid  her. 

"If  I'd  had  the  least  chance  to  talk  to  her,"  Harry 
said  to  herself,  with  a  sigh,  "we  could  have  fixed  up 
a  plan  of  escape.  She  could  have  slipped  off  the  train 
at  the  next  station,  or  something.  I  could  see  that 
her  mother  was  nearly  scared  to  death,  or  she'd  have 
explained  this  journey  to  me." 

Well,  it  was  too  late  now  to  think  of  what  might 
have  been  done.  Harry  could  only  have  faith  in 
Isita's  courage  and  ambition  to  free  herself  from  this 
hateful  bondage. 

In  the  hotel  office  she  stopped  to  chat  with  the  clerk, 
who  was  an  old-time  friend  of  hers  and  Rob's.  "I'm 
going  up  to  my  room  to  rest  now,"  she  said,  *T>ut  I 

276 


HOMESTEAD  EANCH 

want  to  be  called  in  plenty  of  time  to  meet  that  ten- 
o'clock  train  going  East." 

She  was  so  tired  that  the  moment  her  head  touched 
the  pillow  she  was  off  to  sleep.  When  some  time  later 
there  came  a  pounding  on  the  door,  she  stumbled  up, 
forgetting  where  she  was. 

"It's  a  girl  to  see  you,  Miss  HoUiday!"  the  clerk 
called.  "Says  its  awful  pertickler  and  to  come  a- 
hurryin' !" 

"Coming,  coming!"  Harry  cried,  as  she  hunted  for 
her  shoes  under  the  edge  of  the  bed.  "Isita,  of  course," 
she  told  herself.  "What  can  have  happened  ?  Has  she 
actually  escaped?"  Her  heart  was  thumping  with 
suspense  and  hope  as  she  snatched  hat  and  coat  and  ran 
out     Isita  was  waiting  at  the  foot  of  the  stairs. 

Harry  saw  that  Isita's  black  eyes  were  actually  glassy 
with  fear,  and  that  beads  of  sweat  glistened  on  her 
forehead. 

"Isita,  dear!"  she  exclaimed.  "What  is  it?  Come 
upstairs  and ^" 

"iNTo!  no!  Not  a  moment!  Come!"  the  girl  cried 
in  a  rasping  voice  and,  catching  Harry's  arm,  pulled 
her  toward  the  door.     "Come.     I'll  tell  you." 

Too  much  astonished  to  dispute  or  question,  Harry 
followed  her  to  the  street.  !N"o  one  in  the  office  had 
seen  them,  and  the  street  was  empty.  After  a  fright- 
ened glance  up  and  down,  Isita  looked  at  Harry  and 
opened  her  lips  to  speak.  But  twice  she  made  an 
effort  before  a  sound  came.  At  last,  hoarsely,  came 
the  words,  "They're  going  to  steal  your  team !" 

276 


HOMESTEAD  EANCH 

''Steal  my  team!"  Harry  almost  smiled  with  relief 
and  stopped  short,  but  Isita  clasped  her  hands  implor- 

iiigly. 

'T)on't  iWaSit,"  she  entreated;  "therefs  not  a  mo- 
ment to  lose !  I  ran  the  second  they  left  me  and  mother, 
but  they'll  be  back  soon." 

''But  wait  The  horses  are  here.  In  Kinney's 
bam,"  Harry  protested. 

'^1^0,  they're  not.  Oh,  you  don't  understand! 
Please  trust  me ;  I'll  explain." 

Her  words  came  quick  and  broken,  and  Harry  real- 
ized that  the  girl  must  have  run  a  great  way.  ISTo 
longer  quesltioning  or  waiting,  jHarry  followed  her 
obediently.  Turning  down  a  side  street,  they  came 
after  a  while  to  a  place  where  the  pavement  ended  and 
an  old  road  curved  off.  A  little  beyond  this  stood  a 
group  of  old  buildings,  stone  and  brick,  the  deserted 
roundhouse  and  shops  of  a  past  era.  Into  one  of  these 
Isita  led  the  way,  and  Harry  heard  from  the  dark- 
ness the  familiar  nicker  of  Rock  and  Rye. 

"All  right,  boys,"  she  began  reassuringly,  when  a 
voice  said: 

"Please  be  quiet     You  might  be  overheard." 

Mrs.  Biane  stood  beside  her. 

"No,  don't  ask  me!  I  can't  say  a  word!"  she  ex- 
claimed in  a  low  voice  of  distress.  "  'Sita  here'll  tell 
you  the  hull  of  it  by  and  by.  Only  hurry  and  git  off, 
you  two.  I  want  you  should  take  my  gurl  with  you. 
Miss  Holliday.  I'll  be  more  grateful  to  you  than  I 
can  tell.     She  can  come  back  to  me  some  day  when  it's 

277 


HOMESTEAD  KAJSTCH 

safer,  happier.  There,  deary,  I  know,"  she  said  sooth- 
ingly as  the  young  girl  threw  herseK,  weeping,  upon  her 
mother's  breast. 

Eor  a  minute  Mrs.  Biane  held  Isita  to  her;  then,  with 
a  last  kiss,  she  unlocked  her  child's  arms  and  put  her 
gently  aside. 

"I  know  she's  safe  with  you.  Miss  Holliday,"  she 
said  as  she  tucked  Isita  into  the  wagon  beside  Harry. 
^'You're  a  good  girl  and  you've  been  a  real  friend  to  her 
— to  me ;  and  you  can  help  her  to  grow  up  good.  There, 
go!  Don't  drive  past  the  station.  He's  liable  to  be 
round  there.     And  hurry !" 

She  led  the  way  to  the  road,  stared  toward  the  town, 
listening  for  a  moment,  and  then  walked  swiftly  away 
without  a  backward  glance. 

!N"ew  and  rude  emotions  surged  through  Harry  as 
whipping  up  the  horses,  she  drove  quickly  out  from  the 
town.  Sympathy  for  Isita,  sympathy  for  that  stricken 
mother,  and  humbly  grateful  joy  for  herself  mingled 
in  almost  painful  force.  It  relieved  her  to  put  her  arm 
round  Isita  and  draw  the  frail  body  close  against  her 
own. 

"After  all,  they  couldn't  separate  us,  could  they?'* 
she  said. 

"Looks  not."  Isita  tried  to  answer  cheerfully,  but 
her  voice  broke  into  a  sob.  "It's  so  hard  to  give  up 
mother.  She  could  have  stayed.  It  was  them  two  men 
made  a  mess  of  things." 

"But  why  did  they  have  to  rush  off  so  suddenly  V^ 
^78 


HOMESTEAD  EANCH 

Harry  asked.  "Haven't  they  been  doing  pretty  mudi 
the  same,  year  after  year?" 

"Oh,  sure,  ever  since  I  can  remember;  but  they  never 
got  caught  before." 

"Caught  ?     They  seemed  to  be  going  off  quite  freely." 

"They  wouldn't  of  been  free  long.  Not — ^not  now 
since  you — you  found  your  hides." 

"My  hides!"  Harry  repeated  slowly.  "You  think 
— ^they  knew — ^who " 

"You  needn't  mind  saying  it"  Isita  gave  a  hard, 
hurt  laugh.  "Not  if  they  didn't  mind  doing  it.  Oh, 
how  often  I've  prayed  you'd  come  on  them  driving  one 
of  your  steers  down  home  or  burying  a  hide  in  the  pot- 
hole 1" 

"But  why  did  they  skin  them?"  Harry  asked  "I 
thought  rustlers  stole  live  stock  and  drove  them  out  of 
the  country." 

"They  wasn't  brave  enough,  even  for  that!  It  was 
much  easier  to  butcher  and  haul  them  out  at  night  to 
Shoshone.  Nobody  could  trace  it  that  way,  without 
any  hide  or  brand.  That's  why  they  didn't  want  the 
herd  law;  with  all  them  cattle  grazing  in  the  hills, 
yours  and  Ludlum's  and  stray  brands  out  of  other  herds, 
they  could  pick  up  one  most  every  day;  work  a  little 
bunch  down  our  way  and,  when  night  come,  shoot  one. 
That's  what  Joe  was  doing  when  he  was  on  your  land. 
He  seen  you  wasn't  suspicious;  your  critters  were  the 
best  of  all,  big  and  fat.  That's  why  he  killed  your 
cows,  too;  so's  he  could  steal  their  calves.     Oh,  they 

279 


HOMESTEAD  EAISTCH 

knew  how  to   do   it,    all   right!     It   was   a  regular 
business." 

She  stopped  abruptly;  the  hard  note  in  her  young 
voice  was  like  an  echo  of  those  cruel  days.  Harry  was 
silent.  How  simple  it  all  was  now;  Joe's  mysterious 
cut;  Mrs.  Biane's  suspicion  of  strangers  or  even  of 
friends;  Joe's  poaching;  Isita's  terror,  and  the  neveiv 
explained  stampeding  of  the  herds  that  night. 

With  a  new,  less  bitter,  accent  in  her  voice,  the  youn- 
ger girl  went  on :  "Before,  it  hadn't  seemed  so  bad  to 
me.  But  after  I  knew  you,  when  you  were  so  generous, 
so  kind,  things  were  different  Oh,  I  wanted  to  be 
friends!  You  never  guessed.  But,  of  course,  they 
wouldn't  let  me.  I  had  to  be  round  home  to  keep  watch. 
You  know.  And  then  they  knew  I'd  have  warned  you, 
put  you  on  your  guard.  You  know  I  would  of,  don't 
you?" 

"Dear  Isita,"  Harry  said,  much  moved,  "of  course  I 
know  you  would  have."  The  realization  of  what  this 
mere  child  had  suffered  made  her  own  loss  insignificant. 
"There's  one  thing  I  should  like  to  know,  though,"  she 
said.  "Your  father  must  have  made  money  selling 
beef  to  the  butcher.  Why  were  you  always  so  poor? 
You  had  scarcely  enough  to  eat." 

"He  gambled  it  all  away  as  fast  as  he  made  it. 
Mother  and  I  never  saw  a  penny." 

"I  understand.  Well,  don't  let's  think  of  it  any 
more!"  Harry  exclaimed.  "All  that  is  past  and  gone. 
I've  lost  a  few  cattle,  but  I've  gained  a  real  friend. 
I'm  satisfied,  and  I  think  we're  going  to  have  no  end  of 

280 


HOMESTEAD  RANCH 

good  times  together."  Her  ringing  voice,  her  beaming 
face,  would  have  reassured  the  most  troubled  heart,  and 
in  fact,  for  the  first  time  in  many  days  Isita  smiled 
happily. 

There  was  only  one  shadow  to  mar  Harry's  satis- 
faction- This  was  the  knowledge  that  in  taking  Isita 
home  she  was  adding  another  burden  of  expense  to 
Rob's  already  heavy  load.  Of  course,  if  he  succeeded 
in  finding  a  buyer  for  her  herd  there  would  not  be  the 
debt  to  Ludlum  to  reckon  with,  and  if  they  did  go 
down  to  the  South  Side  she  could  probably  find  work  in 
the  large  towns  there. 

When,  after  resting  for  the  night  at  a  ranch  house, 
they  started  on  again  the  next  morning,  her  mind  was 
busy  with  plans.  Even  if  her  herd  were  sold,  they 
would  need  more  money  for  part  payment  on  hay  to 
feed  Rob's  stock.  And  if  she  did  go  to  work  for  wages, 
it  would  not  be  hard  to  place  Isita  with  some  good 
family  who  would  give  her  her  board  in  exchange  for 
help  with  the  housework  while  she  went  to  school.  Yes, 
it  seemed  that  all  would  arrange  itself ;  that  is,  if  only 
Rob  had  managed  to  sell  her  herd  and  to  find  hay  for 
his  own. 

"If  only!  if  only!'^  The  monotonous  clip-clop!  of 
the  horses  feet  repeated  those  significant  little  words 
— significant  because  upon  them  hinged  all  that  had 
gone  before.  If  only  she  had  been  satisfied  with  thirty 
head!  If  she  had  not  been  in  such  a  hurry  to  own  a 
big  herd !  If  only  she  had  not  lost  her  temper  and  in 
doiag  so  shot  one  of  Ludlum's  cows !     If  only  she  had 

281 


HOMESTEAD  EANCH 

herded  her  own  cattle  more  imderstandingly !  As  she 
looked  back  over  the  year  she  saw  that  from  the  very 
start  she  had  done  things  that  meant  spending  money, 
had  got  herself  and  her  brother  into  predicaments,  while 
Rob  had  plodded  behind  straightening  out  the  difficul- 
ties, and  finding  the  money  to  pay  for  her  mistakes. 

And  now  here  she  was  bringing  home  Isita!  ISTot 
that  she  could  have  refused  the  responsibility.  Kob 
would  not  have  wanted  her  to  do  that.  Only  somehow, 
Isita  seemed  to  be  the  last  straw  that  she  was  adding 
to  his  load.  A  sudden  vision  rose  up  before  her  of 
Eob  traveling  endless  miles  up  and  down  the  South 
Side  hunting  for  hay,  hunting  for  a  buyer  of  her  herd. 


CHAPTER  XXn 

Sunset  comes  early  in  the  foothills  in  November, 
and  it  was  dark  by  the  time  the  girls  reached  home. 
As  Harry  was  opening  the  big  gate  at  the  foot  of  the 
lane,  Isita  exclaimed: 

"There's  a  light  at  the  house!'' 

'^O  goody!  Then  Eob  i3  here."  Harry  sent  a 
halloo  to  give  word  of  her  arrival.  "You  go  right  in- 
side, Isita,"  she  said  when  they  reached  the  garden 
gate,  "and  I'll  take  the  team  to  the  bam." 

As  she  passed  the  back  yard  she  saw  a  figure  moving 
there  in  the  dark. 

"So  you  got  here  first  f  she  called  gayly. 

"Time  some  one  was  gettia'  here,"  Gamett's  voice 
answered  imexpectedly  from  the  hay  that  he  was 
forking  out  to  the  impatient  herd. 

"Yes.  I  thought  I  left  you  in  charge."  Eob  had 
come  up  and  was  speaking  with  assumed  sternness. 
"I'd  pretty  near  decided  you'd  left  the  country  with 
the  Bianes." 

'^ow  on  earth  did  you  know  they'd  gone  ?" 

"As  we  were  coming  in  we  met  the  sheriff  going  out. 
He'd  been  over  there  with  half  a  dozen  warrants  for 
the  old  man  and  Joe.  Seems  they've  been  stealing 
sheep  and  cattle  for  a  good  while.  That's  where  our 
stock  went,  of  course.     Gamett  told  me  about  finding 

283 


HOMESTEAD  EANCH 

the  hides.     Fine  neighbors,  weren't  they?    Well,  I'm 
glad  we're  rid  of  them." 

"Kob,"  Harry  began  and  stopped.  It  was  hard  to 
%ell  him.     *^ob,  they  didn't  all  go.     Isita  is  here." 

'^sita  here !     Well,  of  all  things !      Where  is  she  V^ 

'HJp  at  the  house.  I  wanted  to  explain  to  yon  before 
yon  saw  her.  She's  here  to  stay,  yon  see.  I  ought 
not  to  havd  kept  her  without  asking  you,  but  there  was 
no  time.  And  it  seemed  so  dreadful  to  leave  her 
with  that  father.  I  know  I'm  adding  another  burden 
to  you,  but " 

"Yes,  it's  terriblef.  I  know  she'll  ruin  us ;  big  strap- 
ping creature  like  that.  She'll  eat  as  much  as  two 
cow-punchers.  I'll  harness  right  up  again  and  ship 
her  on  the  next  train." 

Harry  was  relieved  that  he  took  it  so  lightly,  but  she 
was  still  more  relieved  by  the  new  life  in  his  voice. 

"Bobby !  What  is  it  ?  You've  had  good  luck  ?"  she 
said  as  they  started  toward  the  bam.  "You  sold  my 
herd."  She  felt  an  immense  relief  and  at  the  same  time 
her  heart  sank  at  having  to  let  them  go.  "Who  took 
them?    Did  you  get  enough  to  pay  Ludlum?" 

"A  thousand."     Bob  ignored  the  first  question. 

"A  thousand !    But  we'll  need  more  than  that." 

"Of  course,  I  know.  But  haven't  I  been  making 
wages  haying  and  harvesting,  besides  what  I  had  in 
the  bank?" 

"But  you'll  need  that  and  more,  too,  for  hay.  Did 
you  get  hay  ?" 

2&4 


HOMESTEAD  EANCH 

"A  hundred  tons  of  the  finest,  and  we're  going  there 
to  feed." 

"O  Bobby !"  she  could  not  go  on.  She  leaned  against 
the  end  of  the  stall  and  stared  after  him  as  he  poured 
oats  into  the  mangers  for  the  horses.  No  matter  what 
went  wrong,  he  always  found  a  way  out  and  pulled  her 
out,  too.     "If  it  weren't  for  you,"  she  began, 

"Of  course,  I  know.  It's  an  endless  tug  of  war  be- 
tween us  to  see  which  one  can  get  along  without  the 
other." 

"Say!"  cried  Gamett,  coming  across  the  stable  yard 
toward  them.  "Can't  you  folks  sandwich  those  argy- 
ments  in  between  the  supper  food  ?  Little  lady  up  at 
the  house  says  she  has  boiled  water  enough  to  scald 
a  hog  and  yet  supper  ain't  real  ready  neither.  Says 
she's  waitin'  on  the  boss  for  orders." 

"Never  mind.  When  I  went  off  yesterday  I  left 
things  so  that  five  minutes  with  a  frying  pan  would 
finish  them." 

It  was  a  very  little  more  than  that  before  the  food 
was  sizzling.  The  two  girls  were  busy  setting  the 
table,  when  heavy  steps  thumped  across  the  porch,  and 
some  one  knocked  sharply. 

"Come  in !"  Kob  called  and  moved  toward  the  door, 
while  the  three  others  watched.  Every  one  gave  a 
start  of  surprise  as  it  was  shoved  open  from  without 
and  Ludlum  faced  them. 

Red-faced  and  scowling  with  fatigue  and  annoyance, 
with  his  eyes  gleaming  maliciously  upon  the  cheery 

285 


HOMESTEAD  EANCH 

scene  before,  him,  lie  stood  against  tlie  blackness  of  tbe 
night  like  a  messenger  of  evil. 

"Come  in,  won't  jou  ?'*  Harry  said  politely.  "Sit 
down."  With  a  mutter  the  stockman  dropped  heavily 
into  the  nearest  chair,  took  off  his  hat  and  mopped  his 
face. 

"Dusty  riding  round  here  now,"  said  Eob. 

"Yep.     We  need  rain." 

"I  hope  it  holds  off  until  we've  pulled  out  of  here." 

"What's  that?  You're  not  wintering  here  ?  Haven't 
sold  out,  have  you?"  Chagrin  was  in  Ludlum's  face 
and  voice  as  he  glanced  from  Eob  to  Harry. 

"Oh,  no,"  Rob  replied,  with  a  smile.  "We  couldn't 
get  hay  enough  up  here  to  carry  us  through,  that's  all." 

"It'll  be  different  next  year,"  Harry  said  with  a  note 
of  triumph  in  her  tone. 

"Different,  eh  ?"  Ludlum  sneered.  "Because  you've 
got  the  herd  law  through,  you  think  you're  fixed.  I 
daresay  that's  the  argyment  you  used  to  push  the  thing ; 
told  the  rest  of  these  rim-rock  squatters  that,  if  it  wasn't 
for  that  confounded  'millionaire  cattle  trust'  that  was 
stealin'  the  grazing,  you'd  all  get  ta  be  millionaires 
yourselves  in  no  time." 

"We  told  'em  it  was  the  only  thing  to  do  to  keep  from 
being  busted  up  and  driven  out  entirely  by  fellows 
like  you  and  Joyce,"  said  Hob. 

"And  you  think  that  because  you  ain't  gettin'  all 
you  want  it  gives  you  the  right  to  drive  us  out ;  hog  all 
the  free  range  yourselves.  You're  kinda  mean,  too, 
ain't  you?" 

286 


HOMESTEAD  EANCH 

*1f  you  hadn't  been  so  grasping  in  the  first  place," 
said  Harry,  "we  shouldn't  have  had  to  fight  you.  We've 
taken  only  what  we  deserve  to  hava" 

"And  I  suppose  you  think  you're  going  to  keep  it !" 
Ludlum  sneered.  "Why,  my  little  lady,  do  you  think 
your  herd  law  is  going  to  keep  us  stockmen,  with  thous- 
ands of  critters  to  feed,  out  of  these  hills  ?  ITot  much. 
We've  grazed  here  long  before  you  ever  come  in,  and 
we'll  be  grazing  long  after  you've  dropped  back  where 
you  come  from.  You  think  you  can  keep  tabs  on  the 
stock  that  comes  in  here!  Why,  you  couldn't  begin 
to.  HoVll  you  know  whether  there's  herders  with  'em 
or  not?" 

^We'll  know  whether  your  cattle  bother  us,"  Kob 
warned  him;  "aad  if  they  do  break  in  and  spoil  our 
crops,  it's  you  that  pay  the  damages  now,  not  us  fellows 
who  have  to  pay  you  for  your  bloated  critters.  You 
don't  get  hurt,  you  know,  unless  you  break  the  law. 
You  big  fellows  are  trying  to  push  us  off  the  earth. 
Maybe  this'll  show  you  that  you  don't  own  it  all  yet." 

"And  I  guess,"  said  Ludlum,  "the  only  way  to  teach 
you  smart  Alecks  that  you.  can't  run  everything  is  to 
clean  you  out  of  this  country  right  now.'' ' 

'TTes?" 

"Yes !"  Ludlum  shouted,  pounding  the  table  with  a 
knotted  fist.  "And  according  to  that  idea  I've  decided 
not  to  extend  your  time  on  them  cattle.  You've  showed 
you're  a  tender-foot  at  the  business,  you  and  the  girl 
there  losin'  stock  right  along.  You're  a  joke,  and 
there  ain't  room  for  jokes  in  the  beef  business.     So  you 

287 


HOMESTEAD  EANCH 

just  take  your  little  bunch  of  stuff  and  run  on.  Tlie 
time  on  your  mortgage  expires  next  Monday,  December 
first,  and  it'll  be  foreclosed  to  the  minute.  See?" 
He  grinned  with  savage  satisfaction. 

"Foreclosed?"  Eob  said  calmly.  "Of  course  you 
mean  unless  we  can  pay  back  your  loan." 

"Oh,  certainly,"  Ludlum  replied  with  savage  irony, 
^^if 'you  can  pay  me  that  'thousand " 

"One  thousand  one  hundred  and  fifty-five  dollars," 
Eob  said.  "I  intended  to  send  you  a  check  for  the 
amount  as  soon  as  we  got  to  town,  but  I  can  give  it  to 
you  right  now.     Saves  me  a  stamp,  too." 

Without  glancing  at  Ludlum,  who,  smothering  in  his 
astonishment  and  fury,  stared  motionless,  Rob  pulled 
his  check  book  from  his  hip  pocket  and  wrote  the  check. 
He  laid  it  on  the  table  before  the  stockman. 

"Now  if  you  will  write  a  receipt,  which  Mr.  Gamett 
will  witness,  everything  will  be  straight  between  us. 
You  can  send  me  a  discharge  of  the  mortgage  when  you 
get  back  to  town."  Ludlum  bent  over  the  check,  looked 
at  it  hard  and  muttered  imder  his  breath.  When 
Harry  silently  handed  him  the  pen  he  took  it  with  a 
scowl  and  wrote  a  receipt.  Then  he  pocketed  the  check, 
picked  up  his  hat,  glared  venomously  at  the  four  who 
were  watching  him  and  without  another  word  flung 
himself  through  the  doorway  and  slamimed  the  door 
after  him. 

*T!t's  mighty  good  to  know,  just  the  same,  that  you 
can't  make  us  suffer  any  longer,"  Rob  said,  with  a  deep 
bow  toward  the  door. 

288 


HOMESTEAD  RANCH 

'1  kind  of  thought  a  while  back  there  he  wasn't  going 
to  trouble  nobody  any  more,"  Gamett  said,  with  a  sigh, 
of  reli«3f ;  "he  acted  like  he'd-  swallered  the  torpedo  he 
meant  for  us,  and  it  wasn't  agreein'  so  well." 

"Our  supper  won't  agree  with  us,  either,  if  it  sits  on 
the  stove  any  longer,"  said  Harry.  "And  now  you  can 
tell  me  all  about  where  we're  going  this  winter  and  who 
bought  the  cattle.  Was  it  a  regular  stock  buyer  or  a 
rancher  ?" 

"A  rancher." 

"And  where  did  you  find  the  hay?  At  the  ends  of 
the  earth,  I  suppose." 

"No.  Not  so  far  out.  Same  fellow  that  is  going  to 
take  the  cattle  sold  me  the  hay.  He'll  take  part  pay 
in  work;  I'm  going  to  feed  the  whole  outfit  to- 
gether." 

"That  sounds  pretty  fine.  Is  there  a  shack  near  by 
where  we  can  live  ?" 

"Oh,  sort  of  a  shack!"  Rob  admitted  reluctantly, 
while  Gamett  threw  his  head  back  and  shook  with 
soundless  laughter. 

'What's  the  matter?"  Harry  inquired.  "Is  there 
a  house  there  or  not,  Gamett  ?" 

"Sure.     Didn't  he  tell  you?" 

"I'll  bet  it's  nothing  but  a  bam,"  Harry  declared, 
whereat  both  boys  tittered  again.  "If  I  had  time  I'd 
write  down  to  the  man  and  find  out  what  sort  of  house 
he's  giving  us,"  she  added.  "By  the  way,  you  haven't 
told  me  his  name." 

"Let's  see.  What  was  the  name  of  that  old  skin- 
289 


HOMESTEAD  KAISTCH 

flint?"  Rob  asked,  scratching  his  head  and  tumirg  to 
Gamett. 

"Say!  If  you  can't  remember,  how  do  you  expect 
me  to  ?"  the  forest  ranger  exclaimed,  grinning. 

"You  two  certainly  are  silly  to-night,"  Harry  said 
loftily.  But  at  the  same  moment  she  was  thinking 
how  good  it  was  to  see  Eob  his  old  self  once  more. 
And  what  a  thing  it  was  to  have  a  friend  like  Gamett 
— so  full  of  fun  and  yet,  underneath  it  all,  as  solid  as 
a  rock.  If  his  ranch  were  anywhere  near  the  place 
they  were  going  to,  what  good  times  the  four  of  them 
could  have  that  winter ! 

And  how  near  she  had  come  to  losing  it  all ; — ^to 
giving  up  and  going  back  East  in  that  first  summer  of 
discouragement!  In  a  flash  of  memory  she  saw  again 
Chris  Gamett's  steady  eyes  as  he  had  looked  down  at 
her  that  day  on  the  train,  heard  the  conviction  in  his 
voice  as  he  told  her:  "You'll  stay!" 

Was  it  his  standing  by  them  in  all  their  difficulties 
that  had  helped  his  prophetic  words  ccHne  true  ? 

Suddenly,  with  a  strange  surprise  she  felt  her  cheeks 
bum  and  she  bent  low  over  her  work. 

"How  soon  are  we  going,  Bobby?"  she  asked 
abmptly. 

"As  soon  as  we  can  get  ready.  I  suppose  there's  a 
week's  work  to  do  up  here  first  Fortunately,  Robin- 
son says  he'll  take  the  pigs,  butcher  and  cure  the  meat 
and  make  the  lard  for  one  third.  But  we'll  have  to 
dig  v^etables,  haul  wood " 

Harry  merely  smiled,  but  her  turn  came  in  the  mom- 
290 


HOMESTEAD  EANCH 

ing,  when  Eob  found  that  during  his  absence  she  had 
done  virtually  everything  to  get  the  ranch  ready  for 
winter.  "Great  work,  sis,"  he  acknowledged,  with  a 
broad  smile.  "Thanks  to  you  we  can  get  off  to-mor- 
row.    "That  kind  of  help  is  worth  money." 

"Good!  I'll  take  my  pay  in  cattle,"  she  answered 
gleefully. 

"Let  me  choose  'em  back  for  you  out  of  the  herd  be- 
fore old  skinflint's  starved  'em  to  death,"  Gamett  sug- 
gested, whereat  Rob  exploded  into  noisy  laughter. 

Never  had  Harry  seen  Eob  in  such  a  mood.  All 
through  the  day  she  heard  him  and  Gamett  talking  as 
they  worked  and  every  now  and  then  breaking  into 
peals  of  laughter. 

Harry  would  not  let  herself  dwell  on  the  loss  of  her 
herd.  It  hurt  her  to  see  them  file  out  through  the  gate 
for  the  last  time,  to  realize  that  she  must  begin  all  over 
again,  this  time  in  the  slow,  plodding  way,  to  gather  a 
bunch  of  stock.  But,  after  all,  she  had  had  a  valuable 
experience  and  she  had  saved  her  land. 

She  and  Rob  took  turns  driving  the  loaded  wagon; 
for  to  her  the  best  of  the  trip  was  being  in  the  saddle, 
helping  to  move  the  cattle.  When  Harry  was  driving 
Isita  rode  Hike.  So  happy  was  the  young  girl  in  her 
shy  way,  so  naturally  did  she  fit  in  with  the  plans  and 
duties  and  pleasures  of  the  family,  that  Harry  was 
deeply  thankful  for  the  chance  that  had  given  this 
friend  to  her. 

Cattle  travel  slowly,  and  it  was  late  on  the  third  day 
when  they  got  down  to  the  South  Side.    As  they  left 

291 


HOMESTEAD  EAl^CH 

behind  the  wild  splendor  of  the  Snake  Riyer  gorge  and 
came  into  the  level  richness  of  the  irrigation  country 
beyond,  Harry  grew  silent  She  was  noticing  every- 
thing: the  magnificent  ranches  one  after  another,  the 
haystacks  as  big  as  churches,  the  silos  and  the  orchards, 
the  grain  elevators  and  the  handsome  houses.  They 
all  meant  wealth.  Yet  at  the  same  time  she  was  miss- 
ing their  own  mountains,  their  groves  and  streams,  the 
wild  and  solitary  beauty  that  at  first  had  seemed  so 
harsh  and  unfriendly,  but  which,  by  insensible  degrees, 
while  the  rough  homestead  had  grown  into  the  cherished 
Homestead  Ranch  she  had  learned  to  love  and  to  think 
of  as  "home." 

"You  ain't  likin'  it  real  well,  are  you?"  Gamett 
Baid  suddenly  as  he  rode  beside  her. 

"That  isn't  what  I  was  thinking,"  she  answered 
slowly.  "When  I  looked  at  this  I  wondered  how  I  had 
ever  imagined  that  we  could  make  a  herd  pay  up  in  the 
hills." 

"But  that's  exactly  the  place  to  make  'em  pay. 
Didn't  Ludlum  prove  it  when  he  tried  to  sneak  your 
homestead  away  from  you?  That's  the  grandest  graz- 
ing country  in  Idaho.  But  no  one  ought  to  winter 
there.  You've  got  to  come  down  here  and  feed  your 
stock  in  this  hay  country.  That's  the  combination  that 
makes  these  stockmen  so  disgustingly  rich.     Sure." 

Harry  laughed  a  little.  "It  wasn't  so  much  the 
money,"  she  said  slowly.  "I  wanted  to  do  something 
worth  while,  something  that  counted.  Oh,  you  know: 
raise  the  finest  beef;  have  everybody  want  mv  calves. 

292 


HOMESTEAD  RANCH 

I  couldn't  bear  the  idea  of  farm  drudgery  and  house- 
work with  nothing  to  look  forward  to.  Instead  of 
that  I  made  an  awful  mess  of  it,  and  no  end  of  trouble 
for  Rob.  And,  after  all,  I've  had  to  come  round  to 
his  way  in  the  end." 

"Well,  now,  not  just  exactly  that,"  Gamett  objected, 
as  he  watched  the  slow-moving  line  of  cattle  and 
tried  to  gauge  the  distance  to  the  gate  of  the  ranch 
ahead  of  them.  "It  takes  years  to  build  up  beef  into 
what  you've  planned,  but  you  took  a  start,  and  there's 
a  heap  to  that  Your  mistakes  weren't  wasted,  either. 
They  kept  Rob  movin'  up  front,  thinkin'  quick,  like 
he'd  swallered  pepper.  Would  he  go  back  to  raisin' 
one  calf  on  a  bottle  ?  Honest,  now  ?  And  besides  that 
look  here.  Didn't  you  start  me  sittin'  up  and  takin' 
notice  of  how  I  was  lettin'  the  grass  grow  under  other 
fellows'  feet  for  them  to  make  hay  of  while  I  was 
wastin'  my  time  makin'  it  safe  for  them  up  in  the 
reserve?  Sure,  you  did.  But  I'll  tell  you  the  rest 
and  some  more,  too,  after  we  get  these  critters  inside 
here.     Hold  'em  back,  now,  while  I  open  the  gate." 

"So  this  is  the  place,"  Harry  said,  when  at  last  the 
cattle  were  inside  the  pasture,  the  team  put  up,  and 
the  four  of  them,  Rob,  Gamett,  Isita  and  herself,  were 
looking  at  everything.  "I  suppose  the  owner  is  no 
more  a  skinflint,  as  you  pretended,  than  that  house  is 
the  tumble-down  cabin  you  tried  to  scare  me  with." 

She  pointed  to  the  roomy,  well-built  white  cottage 
set  in  a  little  lawn  and  fenced  away  from  the  farm  by 
a  neat  paling. 

293 


HOMESTEAD  RAISTCH 

"!N"ow  that  I've  seen  tlie  place  I'd  certainly  like  to 
see  the  owner,"  she  announced  to  Rob  as  they  walked 
on  towards  the  house.  "I  suppose  he's  here,  isn't  he, 
waiting  to  take  over  my  herd  ?" 

"Here  he  is,"  announced  Rob,  trying  hard  to  keep  a 
serious  face  as  he  took  Gamett  by  the  arm  and  led  him 
forward.  "Meet  Miss  HoUiday,  Mr.  Gamett.  Shake 
hands  with  the  gentleman,  Miss  HoUiday." 

"Gamett!"  Harry  cried  in  astonishment.     ^TTou!" 

"That's  right,  give  it  to  him  proper.  Sis,"  Rob  called 
back  as  he  went  off  to  look  after  the  horses. 

Harry  did  not  even  hear  him.  With  her  brain  in  a 
whirl  that  was  all  that  she  could  find  to  say,  but  as  she 
put  her  warm  hand  into  his  big  clasp  her  sparkling  face 
told  him  better  than  words  that  the  surprise  it  gave  her 
was  not  greater  than  the  happiness. 

"How  ever  did  it  happen,  though?"  she  asked 
presently.     "I  thought  you  had  sold  all  your  hay." 

"I  didn't  sell  any.  Pablo,  the  renter  I  had  here, 
sold  my  share;  leastwise  gave  Biane  an  option  on  it. 
Of  course  when  Biane  skipped,  the  hay  come  back  on 
my  hands.  I  didn't  know  that  when  I  left  you  up 
yonder  and  come  a-huntin'  Rob.  But  I  got  a  loan 
from  the  bank  on  my  place  here,  enough  to  pay  up  Lud- 
lum  and  get  us  some  hay  back  from  Paplo  for  a  start." 

"But  how  are  we  going  to  pay  you?"  Harry  inter- 
rupted.    "A  hundred  tons  of  hay  at " 

"Say,  now,"  begged  Gamett,  "don't  you  go  to  ^g- 
gerin' !  When  Biane  skipped  the  country,  didn't  that 
turn  my  hundred  tons  back  on  me?     Well,  I  guess. 

294 


HOMESTEAD  EANCH 

And  what  was  I  goin'  to  do  with  it  when  I  hadn't  a 
critter  of  mj  own  to  feed,  chiefly  when  I  knew  you 
folks  was  wearin'  out  the  roads  huntin'  hay? — And 
what's  easier  and  doin'  better  for  us  all  than  for  Hob 
and  me  to  feed  together  here  on  my  ranch;  and  you, 
mebbe,  to  cook  for  us  once  in  a  while, — and  me  to  take 
my  wages  in  calves  next  spring, — or  any  old  time  like 
that ;  in  case  you  took  a  notion  to  feed  here  next  winter, 
—and  me  to  put  mine  in  with  yours,  and  all  of  us  graze 
together  up  to  your  homestead, — ranch  that  is,  I  mean, 
in  summer  and — ^next  winter, — ^next  winter, — ^Awl 
What's  the  use  of  all  this  talkin'  ?  It's  all  right,  aint 
it?" 

Red  to  his  ears,  the  forest  ranger  clutched  his  hat  with 
a  hard  hand  and  stared  down  at  the  girl  beside  him, 
something  unsaid  held  back  in  a  sudden  spasm  of  shy- 
ness* 

Before  Harry  could  answer  the  front  door  opened 
behind  them  and  Isita,  who  had  been  exploring  by  her- 
self looked  out, 

"Now  that  we're  home.  Miss  Harry,"  she  said, 
"couldn't  I  set  the  table  for  supper  ?  There's  a  beauti- 
ful set  of  china  dishes  in  the  cupboard." 
'  Harry  turned  to  Gamett,  the  familiar  roguish  gleam 
in  her  face.  "If  I  am  going  to  live  here,  Mr.  Skinflint 
Gamett,"  she  began  lightly,  "I'll  expect  to  use  those 
dishes — "  her  voice  trailed  off,  the  bright,  brave  scarlet 
swept  into  her  face,  then  as  swiftly  fled.  Gamett  said 
not  a  word.  His  eyes  were  on  hers  and  in  them  was  a 
look,  a  light     She  had  seen  it  there  before  but  now  she 

295 


HOMESTEAD  EANCH 

Tinderstood  what  it  meant.  She  tried  to  take  a  steady 
breath,  she  hunted  words, — "those  dishes.  Shall  I  start 
breaking  them  in  now  ?" 

Brave  as  the  words  were  how  her  voice  shook ! 

"Say,  Harry — "  How  queer  and  deep  and  soft  Gar- 
nett's  voice  was.  He  had  thrown  down  his  hat  and  stood 
there,  shaking  yet  determined,  his  fists  clenched  at  his 
sides.     "Harry?  .  .  .  You  reckon  you  could " 

"What,  Chris  V^  The  plunge  of  her  heart  was  like 
the  gallop  of  a  frightened  colt. 

" — You  reckon  you  could  take  me  with  'em,  with  them 
dishes,  break  me  in  with  'em  for  yours?  .  .  .  Little 
girl?" 

Her  lips  moved  but  no  sound  came  from  them.  Yet 
he  read  her  answer  in  her  eyes  and  it  must  have  satisfied 
him  because  he  bent  his  head  to  hers  and  for  an  instant 
he  held  her.  Then  he  took  her  hand.  "Come  along, 
let's  take  a  look  at  the  winter  half  of  this  Homestead 
Eanch  of  ours." 

(4) 


THE   END 


AMONG  THE  NEWEST  NOVELS 


THE  HOUSE  OF  MOHUN 

By  GEORGE  GIBBS,  Author  of  '*Youth  Triumphant," 

etc. 

A  distinguished  novel  depicting  present  day  society 
and  its  most  striking  feature,  the  "flapper."  A  story 
of  splendid  dramatic  qualities. 

THE  COVERED  WAGON 

By  EMERSON  HOUGH,  Author  of  "The  Magnificent 
Adventure,"  "The  Story  of  the  Cowboy,"  etc, 
A  novel  of  the  first  water,  clear  and  clean,  is  this 

thrilling  story  of  the  pioneers,  the  men  and  women  who 

laid  the  foundation  of  the  great  west 

HOMESTEAD  RANCH 

By  ELIZABETH  G.  YOUNG 

The  New  York  Times  says  that  "Homestead  Ranch" 
is  one  of  the  season's  "two  best  real  wild  and  woolly 
western  yams."  The  Boston  Herald  says,  "So  delight- 
ful that  we  recommend  it  as  one  of  the  best  western 
stories  of  the  year." 

SACRIFICE 

By   STEPHEN   FRENCH   WHITMAN,   Author   of 

"Predestined,*'  etc. 

How  a  woman,  spoiled  child  of  New  York  society, 
faced  the  dangers  of  the  African  jungle  trail.  "One 
feels  ever  the  white  heat  of  emotional  conflict." — 
Philadelphia  Public  Ledger, 

DOUBLE-CROSSED 

By  W.  DOUGLAS  NEWTON,  Author  of  'Xow  Ceil- 
ings," etc. 

"An  excellently  written  and  handled  tale  of  adven- 
ture and  thrills  in  the  dark  spruce  valleys  of  Canada." 
— New  York  Times. 

JANE  JOURNEYS  ON 

By  RUTH  COMFORT  MITCHELL,  Author  of  "Play 

the  Game,"  etc 

The  cheerful  story  of  a  delightful  heroine's  adven- 
tures from  Vermont  to  Mexico. 

D.  APPLETON  AMD  CX>MPAIiY 

New  York  London 


T713 


NEW  NOVELS  OF  PRIME  INTEREST 


FAIR  HARBOR 

By  JOSEPH  C  LINCOLN 

Cap'n  Sears  Kendrick,  worthy  companion  of 
numerous  delightful  Lincoln  creations,  attempts  the 
management  of  a  "retreat"  for  "Mariners'  Women," 
thereby  providing  his  genial  author  with  splendid  op- 
portunities for  ex:ercising  his  wonderful  gift  of  whole- 
some, hearty  humor. 

AT  SIGHT  OF  GOLD 

By  CYNTHIA  LOMBARDI 

A  colorful  and  dramatic  romance  with  scenes  laid 
in  Italy  and  in  New  York's  social  and  operatic  circles. 

THE  CAT»S  PAW 

By  NATALIE   SUMNER  LINCOLN 

All  absolutely  baffling  mystery  story,  with  a  thrilling 
and  ingenious  solution  of  a  strange  murder. 

THE  AMAZING  INHERITANCE 

By  FRANCES  R.  STERRETT 

Hilarious  tale  of  a  department  store  salesgirl  who 
inherits  a  group  of  South  Pacific  Islands. 

ROGUES'  HAVEN 

By  ROY  BRIDGES 

Picturesque  and  gripping  romance  of  adventure,  re- 
volving round  a  store  of  pirate  wealth. 

M'LORD  O'  THE  WHITE  ROAD 

By  CEDRIC  ERASER 

A  brisk  romance  of  the  gallant  days  when  sword- 
play  was  in  high  fashion. 

D.  APPLETON  AND  COMPANY 
New  York  London 


S'Hlia 


GENERAL  LIBRARY 
UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA— BERKELEY 

RETURN  TO  DESK  FROM  WHICH  BORROWED 

This  book  is  due  on  the  last  date  stamped  below,  or  on  the 

date  to  which  renewed. 

Renewed  books  are  subject  to  immediate  recall. 


MYl  3  J954  LU 


21-100m-l,'54  (1887816)  4^ 


VB  40222 


,)  ■ -- 


-  ,  1    , 


.    I. 


1,        'i^»        •'l'>-  t  til    tBpt- 


